Find resources and information on CALD communities
Data and Statistics
Collecting and analysing data is important as it allows you to find out about the communities that live in your area, the population groups that are currently accessing your services and the groups that could potentially be missing out on your services.
The following resource list provides links to a comprehensive range of statistical information on variables such as: country of birth, language spoken, English language proficiency, age, year of arrival and income support. This will allow you to identify and analyse the size, profile and characteristics of CALD communities living in your region.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
The ABS provides access to a comprehensive range of demographic data from the Census and the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. You can search under variables such as country of birth, language, overseas arrivals and proficiency in English by region.
The ABS also provides a National Information and Referral Service to assist with enquiries relating to data requirements. The service can assist you to find the data you require or can compile data on a fee for service basis. For further information, go to:
www.abs.gov.au/National+Info+and+Referral+Service
For more complex, detailed and customised statistical analyses, visit ABS’s Microdata Entry Page at:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Reports and Data
Provides access to a range of reports and data on health and welfare services, population groups, health conditions, disability and death and behaviours and risk factors.
Centrelink Statistics and Data
Contact the Department of Human Services to access Australian Government health and welfare, Centrelink and Medicare statistical information or to request specific data. For example, data can be requested on recipients of Centrelink payments by variables such as country of birth, language spoken and local government area. To access public data or to request data tailored to your needs, go to: www.humanservices.gov.au/statistical-information
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Community Summaries
The DFA has produced Community Information Summaries for over 100 countries. The summaries include historical backgrounds and statistical information from the 2016 Census such as geographic distribution, language, religion, arrival and median income. Go to:
Id
Provides access to community profiles, population forecasts, social atlases (thematic maps to show the distribution of key demographics spatially) and local area information tools to assist in analysing Census data at a local level.
National Ethnic Disability Alliance - NEDA Data
NEDA is Australia’s leading organisation with regards to data analysis pertaining to disability and multiculturalism. For data enquiries email: ceo@neda.org.au
Queensland Health - Cultural Profiles
These profiles provide information on health beliefs and practices, pre-migration experiences, social determinants of health and utilisation of health services for 18 CALD communities.
SBS
Cultural Atlas
Provides a wide range of cultural information on countries Australia’s migrant populations originate from. It includes information on languages, religions, ethnicities, dates of significance, family roles, average age, gender, diaspora and arrival to Australia.
Where Australia’s Immigrants were Born
This map reveals the top three birthplaces for immigrants in suburbs and towns across Australia.
Statistical Data for Victorian Communities
This data is a collaboration between the City of Greater Dandenong and the Victorian Local Government Association. It provides community profiles – demographic summaries for all municipalities, indicators of health and wellbeing, data tables on variables such as asylum seekers and refugees, social disadvantage, birthplaces, spoken languages, English fluency, disability and carers and employment. Also allows you to create your own profiles through a ‘regional profile builder’.
Settlement Reports
Provides access to data drawn from the Settlement Database, which contains records of people who have been granted a permanent or provisional/temporary visa since 1991.
Settlement Services International – FutureAbility Data Cube
This interactive online data platform presents a large collection of statistical data about people aged under 65 years with disability from CALD backgrounds for NSW.
Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC)
The VMC provides a comprehensive range of data and statistics on Victoria’s cultural and linguistic diversity. Its Discover Victoria’s Diverse Population page includes: a Snapshot of our Diversity; Victoria’s Diverese Population brochure; ethnicity characteristics census data; multicultural community profiles; and the Local Government Area Report on Population Diversity.
Victorian Refugee Health Network (VRHN)
The VHRN provides links to a comprehensive range of diversity and humanitarian population statistics and factsheets.
Tools
The following list provides links to a comprehensive range of tools, guides and resources to help you find information on how to deliver more accessible, inclusive and responsive services to CALD communities. The list includes good practice guides, fact sheets, toolkits and resource booklets.
Arabicare: Linking Cultures
Arabicare provides information to support increased understanding and effective engagement with diverse people of Arabic speaking backgrounds. Information is available on topics such as history and migration, language, customs and community profiles. The website also includes a directory to help you find Arabic speaking health practitioners, community organisations and Arabic language media.
CALD Assist
CALD Assist is a free app, which offers a simple way for nursing and allied health clinicians to communicate with patients from CALD backgrounds when an interpreter is not available. It features recorded phrases, translated in 10 languages, commonly used during basic interactions.
Centre for Applied Disability Research (CADR)
Culturally Proficient Service Delivery
Good Practice Guides
- Practical Guide for Practice Leaders
- Good Practice for Frontline Staff
CADR has produced guides to help practice leaders develop culturally proficient organisations and frontline staff to develop culturally responsive, respectful and reflective practices. Guides are available from the CADR clearing house.
Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health (CEH)
CEH has developed a comprehensive range of resources, tips sheets and guides on cultural competence, health assessment, language services, consumer participation, health literacy and culturally inclusive social support groups. To access the resources, visit the CEH Knowledge Hub and choose from a number of categories.
Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV)
The FCCV provides a range of resources and information on key events, dates of significance, religious holidays as well as profiles and descriptions of religions practiced in Australia. Faith profiles include: history, beliefs and teachings, rituals and practices and holy days and festivals. For more information, go to:
Harmony Week
The Harmony Week website provides links to Harmony Day events, a Calendar of Cultural and Religious Dates and listings of key community festivals and celebrations.
Interfaith Calendar
Provides a list of key religious dates and celebrations for the major religions practiced in Australia as well as definitions of terms.
National Disability Services (NDS)
Person-Centred Practice Across Cultures resources
NDS produced 14 workbooks focusing on the importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity in disability support and service delivery. Topics include: Leading Towards Cultural Responsiveness; Making the Business Case; Building a Diverse Workforce; and Cross-cultural Story-based Marketing.
Multilingual Disability Hub (MDH)
Settlement Services International’s MDH provides a multilingual hotline and website with information and resources on disability and the NDIS in a number of languages.
Refugee Council of Australia (RCoA)
The RCoA website provides statistics, fact sheets and resources on Australia’s refugee and asylum seeker populations.
SBS – Settlement Guides
These Guides provide in-language information on a range of topics relevant to newly arrived communities including: ‘how to find the right GP in Australia’; ‘how to get mental health support in Australia’; ‘living with a disability in Australia’; and ‘what is the NDIS’. Settlement Guides are available in an audio-visual format in 29 languages.
SBS – Your Language
Provides a wide range of ethnic media related and community information for over 60 language groups. To access individual languages, go to:
Ways to Welcome
This web resource, which was co-designed by people from CALD backgrounds with disability, explores what we can do to welcome and include people from diverse backgrounds with a disability. It includes audio-visual stories on the ‘listen’ page, tools and links to resources in the ‘learn’ portal and a survey to reflect on learning in the ‘act’ page.