Brief History of MDAA

"A community where everyone, regardless of background or disability, feels welcome, included and supported"

In 1992, the Ethnic People with Disabilities Program (EPDP) of Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services Co-operative (ECCF&CS) initiated a forum, “Lets Speak Out Together” which brought together people from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) with disability and their families/carers; ethnic, disability and generic service providers and Government representatives. A major recommendation made by the Forum was to seek appropriate funds in order to establish a state-wide advocacy service specifically for people from NESB with disability and their families/carers.

As a result of subsequent lobbying the Co-operative received funds in July 1994 from the Commonwealth Department of Human Services and Health to establish and auspice the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Service (MDAS). An Advisory Committee was formed and had its first meeting on 6 February 1995.

An application for incorporation was accepted by the Department of Consumer Affairs on 5 September 1995 and Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAA) of NSW was born. MDAA became an independent organisation and based its underlying philosophy on the Disability Services Acts (Commonwealth and State), the Disability Discrimination Act (1992), the Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1994), the National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia (1989). MDAA held its first Annual General Meeting in 1997.

Today MDAA has more than 400 members.