The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) is the peak, national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. We work to promote fairness and responsiveness to our constituency in the delivery and design of government policies and programs.

At the heart of FECCA’s work is promoting multiculturalism, embodied in equitable policies and non-discriminatory practices for all Australians, regardless of their cultural, linguistic, ethnic, racial or religious backgrounds. Towards this end, FECCA strives to ensure that the needs and aspirations of various cohorts of Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse population are heard by policy and decisions makers, as well as the broader public. 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS/the Scheme) is one of the most important social reforms in relation to welfare of people with disability in the recent history. The Scheme provides people with disability an invaluable opportunity to be independent and pursue their potential through an individually tailored and self-directed funding program. The NDIS creates a uniform system of disability services across Australia and increases the social and economic participation of people with disability.

Section 3 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (the NDIS Act), stipulates that one of the objectives of the enactment is to give effect to Australia’s obligations under the international instruments including, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). ICESCR clearly recognises the right to ‘cultural life’ which is embedded in the NDIS Act pursuant to section 3. Thus, it is suggested that there is a statutory obligation upon the NDIA to ensure that cultural rights of NDIS participants are recognised and accommodated within the Scheme.

NDIS is one of FECCA’s core areas of work, in view of its significant importance. In undertaking this work, FECCA receives advice from a dedicated Disability Committee comprising committed disability advocates, many of whom are people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds living with disability themselves, and collaborates with key stakeholders, including the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA). In February 2015, FECCA organised a roundtable discussion in Melbourne (VIC), as well as a community consultation in Darwin (NT) in March 2015, with the participation of a number of relevant stakeholders, experts, officials from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA/the Agency), CALD people with disability, their family members and carers, service providers and community organisations. This document is informed by the discussions at the two forums, and the feedback from FECCA’s broader activities and consultations.