At the end of 2012, Motivation Australia received a grant from FaHCSIA’s Practical Design Fund to work with Yolngu communities in East Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The focus of this work was on developing a shared understanding of Yolngu language and worldview concepts of disability. This is one of the crucial first steps to support clear communication between future government departments, service providers and community members in light of the upcoming National Disability Insurance Scheme.
This project saw Motivation Australia visit four East Arnhem communities: Galiwin’ku, Gapuwiyak, Millingimbi and Ramingining, and talk with many people with a disability, their families, service providers and community leaders.
Motivation Australia worked with the team at ARDS (Aboriginal Resource and Development Service), based in Darwin who facilitated our community visits and supported the cultural interface between the teams, people with a disability and their families. We would like to thank the team at ARDS and all of the people in the communities who took the time to share their stories with us.