Challenging Stigma
Let’s Talk About Why We Don’t Talk About Disability
Stigma, Shame and Discrimination Faced by People with Disability from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
NEDA is grateful for the generous assistance provided by Bank Australia for this Project via its community grants program.
Many people with disability who come from different cultures and/or speak languages other than English deal with stigma.
What is stigma?
Stigma means people think negative things about you because of who you are, such as your disability or your cultural background.
Stigma is not just about what a few people think. It comes from the way society thinks and acts.
Some groups of people are treated as less important than others. People who have more power in society often decide what is seen as ‘normal’.
You might see this happen in your own culture, or in the wider community.
Stigma can cause other people to treat you unfairly because of who you are. This is called discrimination.
Discrimination can happen in your everyday life, in the community or when you try to find work and access disability services or health services.
Also, knowing that other people think badly of you can make it harder to talk about your disability–in your own culture, and in the wider Australian community.
Talking openly about your disability is a good thing. It can help us all to understand disability better, and we can meet people who might have the same experience.
There is not much research about the experiences of stigma and unfair treatment of people with disability from different cultures.
About this Research
This research was conducted by the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) with
support of a $20,000 community grant from Bank Australia. It was designed to
centre the voices and lived experience of people most directly affected by stigma and
discrimination. It draws mainly on:
15 in-depth interviews with people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and family members
Two participatory workshops. A total of 35 unique participants took part across the two workshops.
Participants represented a wide range of disability types and cultural backgrounds
What Participants Shared with Us
Participants described stigma related to disability as something that often operates quietly within families and cultural communities. Rather than being openly discussed, disability was commonly treated as taboo, associated with shame, or managed through silence.
Participants spoke about:
- The silence and taboo around disability.
- Dealing with assumptions, pity, and being spoken over.
- The intersection of ableism, racism, and cultural exclusion.
- The emotional impact of constantly having to explain, justify, or advocate for themselves.
- What genuine inclusion looks like in everyday life.
On impacts on participation, relationships, and belonging
On reluctance to seek support and long-term consequences
On emotional and psychological impacts
Strategies to Overcome Stigma and Discrimination
Participants co-designed practical strategies to challenge stigma, strengthen inclusion, and create communities where people can participate with dignity, respect, and belonging.
‘Different cultures, different abilities, equal respect’.
‘You don't need to fix disability. You need to fix discrimination’.
‘Inclusion starts when assumptions stop’.
Read the Full Report
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHY WE DON’T TALK ABOUT DISABILITY
Stigma, Shame and Discrimination Faced by People with Disability
from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
Thank You
NEDA is grateful to Bank Australia for providing a community grant to support this initiative.
