How we do it
- Culturally Safe Access: Recognising and valuing First Nations knowledge, we design access pathways that are respectful, reciprocal, and grounded in cultural determinants of health and wellbeing.
- Trauma-Informed Accessibility: Guided by a healing-centered approach, we create spaces and interactions where First Nations people with disability feel safe, welcomed, and empowered.
- Community-Led Solutions: We collaborate with First Nations communities to understand and respond to their unique accessibility needs and preferences, ensuring our efforts reflect their voices and priorities.
- Upholding Rights: We are guided by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to ensure equitable and dignified access for all. FPDN is seen globally as a leader on the intersection of disability rights and Indigenous rights.
- Walking Gently in Accessibility: We acknowledge the wisdom and knowledge of First Nations peoples in defining what accessibility means for them and commit to walking alongside them to support and implement their priorities.
This protocol ensures that accessibility is a shared journey shaped by respect, cultural understanding, and a commitment to inclusion for First Nations people with disabilities.
Read our Accessibility Statement.
Artwork Story: The community should be made aware of the achievements and contributions that people living with disability make to their community and to society, and these positive messages should be shared. Artwork by Uncle Paul Calcott ©
Disability Inclusion Action Plan
At FPDN, accessibility and inclusion start within. Our Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) is both a roadmap and a commitment — guiding how we embed accessibility, cultural safety, and disability leadership into every part of our organisation.
Our Gagil Wakul (DIAP) reflects FPDN’s responsibility to lead by example as a national, community-controlled organisation owned and operated by First Nations people with disability. It identifies barriers, promotes full participation, and strengthens inclusion in our programs, policies, and workplace.
Grounded in the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, our DIAP ensures that accessibility is not an add-on, but a reflection of our core values — justice, equity, and self-determination.
The DIAP helps FPDN stay accountable to our people, our communities, and our allies by setting measurable actions that uphold the rights, voices, and leadership of First Nations people with disability — inside our organisation and beyond.
Disability Inclusion Action Plan coming soon!
Artwork Story: As a person living with a disability, you have the right to live independently, travel anywhere and stay overnight, have access to all public buildings and transportation, participate in your community, and shop for and choose your own food. Artwork by Uncle Paul Calcott ©
