Experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability: the numbers and the stories

As the government is about to roll out the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it's important to take stock of the evidence using both data and research.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects self-reported information on disability through a number of national household surveys.

In the 2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) this information can be investigated to better understand the experiences and socioeconomic outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability relative to those without.

The survey can provide a data picture of how the following characteristics are impacted by the experience of disability:

Life Satisfaction
Health status, risk factors
Employment, income, education
Family and community connections.

The topics covered in the NATSISS provide a lens through which the complexity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity, health and wellbeing can be understood, however, research by First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) provides the stories that can make this data come to life.

Through narrative research, the FPDN investigates the intersection between the cultural inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the social inclusion of a person with disability. These stories are powerful and illuminating.

A joint presentation by the ABS and FPDN.