Launch/Workshop NDIS for CALD Communities

Launch/Workshop NDIS for CALD Communities

On Monday December 3, Advance Diversity Services (ADS) will launch Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities’ views and experiences of the NDIS – a new publication by ADS and the University New South Wales (UNSW).

The launch is part of a workshop to explore how to make the NDIS work for diverse communities. It will feature a panel discussion with people with a disability and carers from CALD communities, representatives from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and representatives from the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Local Area Coordination Program.

An NDIA representative will talk about the NDIA’s CALD strategy including how it can help to ensure people with a disability are connected and included in the community and can achieve their goals.

ADS partnered with the St George and Sutherland Shire Disability Interagency Network to organise the event, which will be held in The Dragon Room, Georges River Council, Hurstville, from10 am to 12 pm.

Beatrice Taylor: ‘Boosting women’s sewing skills was a joy’

Beatrice Taylor: ‘Boosting women’s sewing skills was a joy’

We interviewed Beatrice Taylor, facilitator of our multicultural women’s sewing group, to find out what made her want to teach the course and what she learnt from its participants.

What made you want to run these sessions?

I believe everyone should have some basic sewing skills, and felt the women would appreciate and utilise what I could teach them. A lot of clothes that could be easily mended are discarded because people don’t have these basic skills. By running these sessions, I was hoping to help people save money and be creative.

What have you learnt along the way? 

Along the way I learnt about people’s differing learning styles and needs. Everyone has their own pace. Also, hands-on demonstrations worked best as English is many people’s second language in this community – another barrier to learning which made me want to teach this class.

Has it been gratifying to help the women develop skills and make such usable and beautiful items?

Running this course has been one of my most rewarding experiences. Helping women to feel empowered and confident in themselves and their creative and practical skills was a real joy. The course also created a wonderful community where women could come together to learn something new and have fun. It was an amazing feeling when women from the course with no sewing skills went home to practice and made beautiful clothes for themselves and their children.

– Advance Diversity Services’ multicultural women’s sewing group ran from August to October 2018.