Western Australia's Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre (EDAC) has received $638,584 as a Lotterywest grant from the State Government, to help purchase and fit-out a new head office, complete with an accessibility lift and furniture. This will support its important work assisting vulnerable people in the community.
EDAC
was established in 1995 to meet the needs of people with disability
from non-English speaking backgrounds, and to improve the uptake of
disability services. It now supports individuals, carers and families
across 63 ethnic backgrounds who present with physical, psychosocial and
intellectual disabilities. EDAC helps them access services and engage
fully in all aspects of community life.
The new facility will
enable EDAC to expand and support advocacy and community activities to
enhance the wellbeing of Western Australians from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds with disabilities, and their carers.
The
grant announcement was made this week by Citizenship and Multicultural
Interests Minister Paul Papalia and Disability Services Minister Stephen
Dawson.
"People with disability from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds can face additional challenges and
are historically under-represented in accessing services and in engaging
with their local communities," said Minister Papalia.
"It is
essential that we have the infrastructure in place to provide accessible
and culturally appropriate services in the disability sector. This
funding will facilitate significant improvements in program delivery, as
well as improved and additional support for clients—including
counselling space, ongoing accommodation and flexible meeting rooms that
will allow activities to take place at the same time to meet demand and
reduce waiting lists."
Minister Dawson also acknowledged that
people living with disability can often face added challenges in dealing
with language barriers or cultural difficulties, and reaffirmed the
McGowan Government's commitment to ensuring people with disability get
the best of support, regardless of their cultural background.