Online Bilingual Co-Design: Developing Resources with People with Disability and Family Members from Refugee Backgrounds

Authors

Angela Dew, Deakin University, AustraliaFollow
Mahmoud Murad, Deakin University, AustraliaFollow
Louisa Smith, Deakin University, AustraliaFollow
Joanne Watson, Deakin University, AustraliaFollow
Kim Robinson, Deakin University, AustraliaFollow
Maree Higgins, UNSW SydneyFollow
Cathy Preston-Thomas, New South Wales Refugee Health Service, NSW HealthFollow
Mardi Stow, The Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of TortureFollow
Ingrid Culos, Settlement Services International, AustraliaFollow
Mariano Coello, NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma SurvivorsFollow
Shakeh Momartin, NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma SurvivorsFollow
Christian Astourian, Migrant Resource Centre North WestFollow
Kelley Johnson, Deakin University, AustraliaFollow
Caroline Lenette, Black Dog Institute, The University of New South WalesFollow
Katherine Boydell, Black Dog Institute, The University of New South WalesFollow

Abstract

People with disability from Syrian and Iraqi refugee backgrounds living in Australia have limited access to information and resources in Arabic language. Our study aim was to use a co-design process to create a suite of Arabic-language resources to increase information access and build capacity of people with disability and family members from refugee backgrounds to use services, and of disability and refugee services to provide relevant support. Following a rapid literature review about access to supports and services for people with disability from refugee backgrounds, workshops were held with 38 people with disability and family members from Syrian and Iraqi refugee backgrounds to identify service access barriers. An online bi-lingual co-design group involving six people with disability and family members, six service providers and four researchers then developed resource content and formats to address identified barriers. Professional video production companies developed the visual resources. A co-developed dissemination plan ensured the resources reached target audiences. This paper details the PAR bilingual co-design method used and explains how using this method resulted in an active and equitable partnership through which all members’ capacity and understanding was built resulting in a range of practical resources for use by those who reported a need but limited access.

Keywords

co-design, participatory action research, bilingual, refugee, disability, carers, community accessibility, support

Author Bio(s)

The authors are academic researchers based at two universities in Australia and service providers who support people from refugee backgrounds arriving in Australia. We have collaborated on several research projects working with people with disability from Syrian and Iraqi refugee backgrounds. Please direct correspondence to Angela Dew at angela.dew@deakin.edu.au

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the resilience of people with disability and family members from refugee backgrounds and thank all those who took part in the workshops and co-design groups. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the Lands where this research took place and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.

Publication Date

2-12-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6377

Recommended APA Citation

Dew, A., Murad, M., Smith, L., Watson, J., Robinson, K., Higgins, M., Preston-Thomas, C., Stow, M., Culos, I., Coello, M., Momartin, S., Astourian, C., Johnson, K., Lenette, C., & Boydell, K. (2024). Online Bilingual Co-Design: Developing Resources with People with Disability and Family Members from Refugee Backgrounds. The Qualitative Report, 29(2), 577-593. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6377

ORCID ID

0000-0002-8800-5660