FPDN is committed to ensuring the voices of First Peoples with disability are heard and centred in all we do. We are strengthening the ways we listen to community so lived experience guides our advocacy, training, policy and sector work.
Elders’ Council
FPDN is seeking to reestablish an Elders council to advise the work of FPDN. This group will seek to have diverse representatives which mirror the communities we are seeking to serve.
First Nations Disability Forum
From the Disability Royal Commission, a recommendation was to create a First Nations disability forum. FPDN is leading the development of the Forum in partnership with DSS and NIAA.
Listening Tours
The policy team is currently in the process of visiting states and territories to hear from First Nations people with disability and community-controlled organisations to understand people’s experiences and disability supports which can be fed back into systemic advocacy and policy work.
Community Reference Groups
The Policy team is seeking to establish reference groups with First Nations people with disability and community representatives about specific policy areas to inform their policy work.
Individual advocacy
The advocacy team directly hear from First Nations people with disability, their family and their community as part of their day-to-day advocacy work. FPDN is establishing processes internally to ensure that the work of the advocacy team is elevated internally to share key stories and insights to the rest of the organisation.
Sector strengthening
FPDN engage with First Nations community-controlled organisations and First Nations people with disabilities nationally and within NSW to develop an enhanced view of the First Nations disability sector and its needs. This will inform FPDN’s future sector development strategy and strengthen current activities across all areas.
Training and engagement
Through the work of the training team in delivery of training of community-controlled organisations and First Nations community members, FPDN is gathering insight and stories which will feed into FPDN’s broader activities and work.
