‘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

The Importance of Local and Global Social Ties for the Mental Health and Well-Being of Recently Resettled Refugee-Background Women in Australia

“…This is concerning because recent evidence highlights that these are ongoing gaps in the sector. For example, Dew et al’s exploration of the service use experiences of family members of people with disability from Iraqi and Syrian refugee backgrounds [ 43 ] indicates that service delivery models fall short of using a decolonial lens. Consequently, there is little progress made in improving the efficacy and cultural safety of such practices.…”

Barriers and enabling factors for utilizing physical rehabilitation services by Afghan immigrants and refugees with disabilities in Iran: a qualitative study

“…Additionally, health insurance coverage has been found to be a potential predictor of immigrant health service utilization, and low income appears to be a barrier to the use of secondary care [ 22 ]. Furthermore, transport, stigma and discrimination, and financial and social isolation are among the common barriers to accessing services among immigrants’ families with disabilities [ 23 , 24 ]. Importantly, people with migrant backgrounds and foreign nationals faced more barriers to accessing care and poorer rehabilitation outcomes due to a lack of culture- or gender-sensitive treatment concepts among health care providers [ 25 ].…”

Family support IDD interventions in culturally diverse and underserved communities

“…In light of the limited services for family caregivers of children and adults with IDD in Singapore, Riches et al (2022) measured the acceptability of inclusive community-based supports for this population. Finally, in response to policy changes leading to increased numbers of refugees with disabilities in Australia, Dew et al (2022) sought the perspectives of providers and families of Iraqi and Syrian people with disabilities on their experiences with services.…”

“…Collectively, these papers demonstrate the gaps that exist in wealthy countries to support individuals with IDD and their families. For example, Dew et al (2022) drew attention to the service use experiences of Syrian and Iraqi refugee families of individuals with IDD in Australia, a population that is nearly invisible in the IDD literature. Likewise, the research focused on Asian populations is limited; thus, the work of Riches and colleagues to document the perspectives of family caregivers in Singapore is an important contribution.…”