‘In the beginning it was difficult but things got easier’: Service use experiences of family members of people with disability from Iraqi and Syrian refugee backgrounds

Abstract

A 2012 change in Australia's immigration policy saw increased resettlement of refugees with disability, with a large number fleeing political instability in Iraq and Syria. The evidence on service disparities for resettled refugees with disability and their families is sparse. The study aim was to explore, from multiple stakeholder perspectives, the experiences of people with disability from Iraqi and Syrian refugee backgrounds resettled in Australia, with a view to informing future services and supports. Interviews with nine family members of 11 people with disability from Iraqi and Syrian refugee backgrounds and seven practitioners working in refugee specific services. Persons with disability had a range of disabilities including intellectual or developmental, physical and sensory. Interviews were translated from Arabic to English as required and analysed using thematic analysis. Two themes described the practices and service interventions that addressed disparities: (1) Getting the basics right: Refugee specific services played a crucial role during early settlement in ensuring access to medical, health and social care including diagnosis, medication, equipment, housing and financial support. (2) Ongoing access to disability supports: Refugee specific services assisted families with longer-term supports once immediate needs were met, including accessing services through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Participants described benefits such as having access to interpreters and Arabic-speaking staff, demonstrating services' attention to cultural sensitivity and safety, and problems including waiting times, bureaucratic processes and housing needs. Refugee specific services, disability services and health services should collaboratively develop and implement strategies to tackle the intersectional nature of issues resettled refugees with disability and their families encounter in Australia. These should be informed by the experiences of people with disability and family members from refugee backgrounds and privilege holistic practices that avoid reliance on one sector alone to address the complex needs of refugees with disability.