Do you have a disability or care for someone who could benefit from the help the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can provide?
The National Community Connectors program is here to support you to connect to the NDIS.
“The work of the Community Connectors is so consequential it can change lives.”
What is the NDIS?
The NDIS is a free government program that provides services and support to people with disability.
How can the NDIS help me?
Supports and services can include:
- help with your daily personal activities
- workplace help to allow you to successfully get or keep employment
- help with household tasks to allow you to maintain your home environment
- purchase of mobility aid and/or equipment.
Who is a Community Connector?
Community Connectors support people from culturally and linguistically diverse and non-English speaking backgrounds to access the NDIS.
She/he will help by acting as a liaison person between you and the NDIS.
Your Community Connector can support you to:
- apply for the NDIS
- connect you with your local NDIS contacts
- provide support for you to understand and use NDIS services better
Why Community Connectors are important
For Maureen Fordyce, the manager of Queensland's AMPARO Advocacy, the work of Community Connectors to help culturally and linguistically diverse people with disabilities access the NDIS can change lives.
Maureen says Community Connectors can guide people who often encounter barriers to accessing services.
"People will tell them misinformation in the community that this will affect your visa. There’s also still an enormous amount of stigma in many communities about disability, particularly around mental health and psychosocial disability,” she said.
“So those individuals are often quite isolated from their communities and often they don’t have a lot of informal support from people who can help them connect with services.”
That’s why the work of the Community Connectors is so consequential.
“We have seen what a difference the NDIS can make in people’s lives when they get this support. We’ve got lots of stories of people’s lives being significantly changed from what they were,” Maureen said.
CASE STUDY 1 - An older man with schizophrenia who required an interpreter for important conversations had been rejected for help. Amparo was able to show that he qualified for assistance.
CASE STUDY 2 - A mother who had suffered a serious health event as a result of domestic violence had limited English proficiency and was unable to seek help. Amparo was able to provide her with the guidance she needed to connect with the NDIS.
| Organisation | Contact Number | Contact Email | Address | State | LGA being serviced |
| ADACAS: | 02 6242 5060 | adacas@adacas.org.au | Unit 14 / 6 Gritten Street, Weston ACT 2611 | ACT | ACT |
| Advocacy for Inclusion (AFI) | 02 6257 4005 | info@advocacyforinclusion.org | Griffin Centre, 2.02/ 20 Genge St Canberra ACT 2601 | ACT | ACT |
| Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre | 02 6648 3694 | volunteeringcoffs@chnc.com.au | PO Box 1257 22 Earl St Coffs Harbour 2450 | NSW | Coffs Harbour |
| Ethnic Community Services Cooperative | 02 9569 1288 | dermot.c@ecsc.org.au | Building 3, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville New South Wales 2204 | NSW | Canterbury-Bankstown, Randwick-Bayside Council, Hornsby, Georges River |
| EDAC | 08 9388 7455 | idil@edac.org.au | 320 Rokeby Road, Subiaco WA 6008 | WA | Perth city, Cockburn, Kwinana, Fremantle, Rockingham,Wanneroo,Stirling and Gosnells |
| IDEAS | 0417 062 455 | dejiadiatu@ideas.org.au | NSW | Wollongong | |
| IDEAS | 0429 656 100 | keikoclements@ideas.org.au | NSW | Central Coast | |
| IDEAS | 0447 186 446 | julieduncan@ideas.org.au | NSW | Newcastle | |
| IDEAS | 0407 616 168 | himadrideka@ideas.org.au | 1/300 Queen St, Campbelltown NSW 2560 | NSW | Campbelltown |
| IDEAS | 0427 583 945 | anaparada@ideas.org.au | NSW | Newcastle | |
| Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA) | 02 9891 6400 | jozmaye.benn@mdaa.org.au | 10-12 Hutchinson St, Granville NSW 2142 | NSW | Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool, Paramatta |
| Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre | 08 9345 5755 or 0491 174 959 | courage.madinya@mmrcwa.org.au | Unit 9/24 Chesterfield Road, Mirrabooka, WA 6061 | WA | Stirling and Wanneroo |
| Australian Red Cross | 02 5963 2966 | nbarber@redcross.org.au | 88 Murray Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650 | NSW | Albury City, Wodonga City |
| Australian Red Cross | 0481 036 474 | nwhalan@redcross.org.au | Level 1 | 318 Urana Road, Lavington 2641 | NSW | Albury City, Wodonga City |
| SydWest Multicultural Services | 02 9621 6633 | info@sydwestms.org.au | Level 2, 125 Main Street, Blacktown, NSW 2148 | NSW | Blacktown, Penrith and Mount Druitt |
Access to Interpreters
If you need help understanding the content of this page, please call the Telephone Interpreter Service (131 450) and ask them to contact NEDA on 02 6262 6867.
The National Community Connectors Program (NCCP) is a collaboration between the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA).
The NCCP is funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency.
