Latest Table Talk unpacks challenges in navigating disability, unemployment and seeking asylum

By James Atanasious, 14 December 2024
(L-R): James Atanasious (Diocese of Parramatta), Ruth Lesmana (HoW), Sera Yilmaz (MDAA), Sebastian Salaske-Lentern (Diocese of Parramatta), Simon Weldemichael (MDAA), Tamana Mirzada (JRS) and Jacqui Clark (HoW). Image: supplied.

 

In recognition of International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD), the Diocese of Parramatta’s Mission Enhancement Team together with the House of Welcome, Jesuit Refugee Service Australia, and the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA) hosted their final Peace, Justice, Ecology Table Talk for 2024 about intersections between disability, unemployment, and seeking asylum. 

MDAA is a statewide disability advocacy organisation, while the House of Welcome and Jesuit Refugee Service support refugees and people seeking asylum in the Diocese of Parramatta. 

Over 30 participants attended the event on 28 November 2024 at the Bishop Bede Heather Centre in Blacktown. They heard two powerful personal stories of people who have to navigate the overlapping challenges of disability, finding employment, and seeking asylum on a daily basis.  

Participants during the table talk. Image: Supplied

Expert speakers from the abovementioned partner organisations put these personal stories into context and answered questions. Participants then had a chance to consider and discuss what they had heard in respectful small group conversations, the key ingredient of every table talk. 

The first personal story of a young man with a CALD background who was deaf was one of resilience and hope, as he and his family overcame the discrimination experienced in schools and in the employment market.  

In the second story shared at the gathering, a person spoke of how their exasperation and hope were compounded by the desperate need to seek asylum in Australia. 

While on a bridging visa and awaiting the outcome of a protection visa assessment in Australia, the storyteller found himself without any reliable support for his blindness and other health issues, as he was not eligible for the NDIS scheme.  

At the same time, he shared how has been unable to find any sustainable employment, as he felt that potential employers were not capable or willing to accommodate his special needs in the workplace. 

Participants during the table talk. Image: Supplied

Dr Sera Yilmaz, Change Management Lead at the MDAA, a disability advocacy organisation, acknowledged that the Table Talk presented “the true challenges and hardships of people with disability, particularly those on bridging visas who have the skills and drive to contribute to the betterment of Australia”.  

Sera Yilmaz and her MDAA colleague Simon Weldemichael encouraged Table Talk participants to lobby their local Members of Parliament to advocate for CALD communities and people seeking asylum with disabilities.  

House of Welcome and Jesuit Refugee Services attested that the number of people seeking support from them has significantly grown to thousands, and among them many with disabilities and/or struggling to find employment.  

While both partner agencies do their best to support families and individuals, limited funding and expertise around disability and employment as well as time constraints are challenging their teams. 

Future Table Talks 

The event was part of a five-piece 2024 PJE Table Talk Series 

For other practical opportunities to support migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum, especially those struggling to find work or disability support, or if you are interested in organising a local Table Talk in your parish, school or organisation, email the MET – Peace, Justice, Ecology team.  

More Diocesan Table Talks will be offered in 2025. You can find out more about how to organise a local Table Talk, by visiting catholicoutlook.info/doptabletalks 

James Atanasious is a member of the Peace, Justice and Ecology team. Stay tuned by subscribing to the monthly PJE Newsletter. 

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