Reference Group members connected with their communities to find out about issues that affect them.

Members shared reports about these issues with the NDIA.

When more First Nations people are part of the government, they have a say in important decisions.

It also helps the government understand what different First Nations communities need.

Reference Group members said that more First Nations people need to be part of state and territory governments.

This includes:

• First Nations women

• young First Nations people

• First Nations people from different places in Australia

• non-binary First Nations people.

When a person is non-binary, they feel like they don’t fit the idea of being a woman or a man.

Reference Group members shared that ‘disability’ means different things to different First Nations communities.

Members said the NDIA and Reference Group should think about this at meetings.

Members said the NDIS portal should have information and advice in different languages.

Members shared that the NDIA needs to do more to understand the needs of:

• older people

• neurodiverse people.

When people are neurodiverse, their brains work in different ways.

Members also want the NDIA to better understand what people from the LGBTQIASB+ community need.

The letters LGBTIQASB stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or questioning, asexual, sistergirl and brotherboy.

The ‘+’ is for people who are part of the LGBTIQASB+ community but don’t talk about themselves using a word from this list.

Members said NDIA workers need training about how to work with people from different cultures.

This can help the NDIA provide better support to First Nations communities in places far away from cities and towns.

Reference Group members said it’s important that NDIA workers know how to make supports and services culturally safe.

This includes:

• support coordinators – someone who helps you plan and use your supports

• plan managers – someone who can manage the money you get for your NDIS supports.

Members said that some areas in Australia don’t have a lot of culturally safe supports and services.

This means some family members need to provide support to participants.

Members said the NDIA should support family members who need to support people with disability.

Reference Group members talked about issues for people who live in places far away from cities and towns.

This includes issues for children who need a diagnosis.

A diagnosis is when a doctor:

• checks your health
• says what condition they think you have.

Members said can be hard for some First Nations families to find and use healthcare services in places far away from cities and towns.

Members shared that healthcare services should:

• hire more workers

• support their workers to stay in a job for a long time.

This could help more First Nations people to find and use healthcare services.

Members said that people who live in places far away from cities and towns need more information in different languages.

Members said First Nations organisations should meet each year to talk about:

• what works well in their communities

• what doesn’t work well.

For example, making sure communities far away from cities and towns:

• have services that are easy to find and use
• are easy to move around.