Australian Chinese disability peer support in Sydney

The action research project is about how disability support organisations facilitate and support peer support groups for people with disability and their families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and how the support is related to organisational cultural responsiveness in disability support.

This pilot project focuses on Australian Chinese peer support groups as an entry point to future research which will include diverse cultural groups. The project involves Chinese peer support groups set up by three types of disability support organisations:

• a disability advocacy organisation
• a social service organisation operated by local professionals
• a social service organisation operated by professionals from CALD backgrounds. 

Findings of this project contribute to the knowledge about cultural competence in disability support and peer support activities among people with disability and their families from CALD backgrounds. Implications of this project for practice would be a useful resource for policymakers and practitioners to work effectively with people with disability and their families from CALD backgrounds.