Raise Our Voices – Disability self-advocacy for CALD communities
The aim of the project is to help people with disability develop the skills to advocate for their rights, access information about disability services, and improve their ability to make their own choices.
The aim of the project is to help people with disability develop the skills to advocate for their rights, access information about disability services, and improve their ability to make their own choices. The research team evaluated one of the activities included in this project: the peer support groups. They looked at how well the project was running, whether people with disability thought it was helpful, and if there are aspects of the project that ECCV can improve.
To evaluate the project, the research team talked to the people with disability who participated in the peer support groups, and also asked them to complete questionnaires about the project. They talked about:
- What they thought about the project
- Whether they thought the project had helped them
- What could be improved so more people can participate
The research team found:
The COVID pandemic affected the running of the peer groups
The participants said it was difficult to meet online and using the online technology to meet was not always easy. Some participants reported that they could not meet as much as they would have liked, and others preferred to wait until they could meet in person.
Participants improved their skills to advocate for their rights
Participants felt understood by the group facilitators. It was an opportunity for them to meet others who had similar life experiences. They said after participating in the groups, they felt more confident in their ability to speak up for their rights.
Recommendations
There are a few things that ECCV can do so the Raise our Voices project continues to reach and support more people:
- Get more funding so the groups can meet for a longer period of time.
- Increase the number of organisations who can come and talk to participants about their services and how to access them.
- Organise sessions to support participants who want to find a job or study.
Research Team
Anthea Rutter, Centre for Program Evaluation, Ana Garcia-Melgar