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Contents
Voices of diversity
Be Realistic
Are we doing enough to meet our client’s needs?
Gunter’s booking call
Voices of diversity
The image I see in the mirror does not reflect my culture
My parents are Chinese. Mum was born and raised in China and my dad is third generation Australian. His grandparents came from China. My family lives in Brisbane. I was born and bred in this country. I have Asian features. When I look in the mirror, the image I see does not reflect my culture.
People often perceive me to be 'foreign' and don't expect me to speak with an Aussie accent. The shocked looks on their faces when I speak fluent English are amusing.
It's his culture that makes him who he is
My mate Gary's got light skin and reddish hair. Told us when he started work here that he was Aboriginal. No-one believed him... some gave him a really hard time about it and he went a bit quiet after that.
At a work barbeque Gary refused the kangaroo sausages; said that's his people's totem. I got interested and asked him about it. I'm glad I did. It was real interesting and I learned a lot about his culture. I tell the others that it's Gary's culture that makes him who he is - not how he looks from the outside.
All skaters wanna do is skate
Us skaters like to hang out in the local shopping centre car park, but shoppers always like give us those dirty looks. Some even clutch their handbags a little tighter, or like find the longest way around us. They think we're gonna cause trouble just cause we're with 'that crowd'. Now I even get some angry looks like just skating over to a mate's place. But all skaters wanna do is skate.
You live in the bush, you learn to live with it
There's nothing like a coldie and a snag on the barby on a Sunday arvo at the local pub. City slickers love it here but always complain about how backward the bush is and why don't we have screens, but that'd spoil it all, ay? Dust and flies are part of the bush too.
I want people to see who I am
I wanted people to see who I am, not just that I am in a wheelchair - tattoos and piercing make me stand out in a different way. I am an individual, and that's what I want people to see.
Be Realistic
We as community services, disability services and youth workers need to be ever mindful of our own prejudices.
We need to be prepared to look“square in the face”at our own deep seated attitudes towards multiculturalism, so that our interactions are as “clean” as possible.
This means being honest with ourselves and others and being prepared to refer on to others in situations where we honestly believe we will not be able to offer our best in the situation.
Are we doing enough to meet our client’s needs?
When working in a socially and culturally diverse environment it is important to take the specific needs of clients into account.
Such services should include safe access for persons with a disability, and provision of culturally sensitive print material including posters, signs and brochures in a number of languages.
Ask yourself, “Are we doing enough to meet our clients’ needs?”
Gunter’s booking call
Ring... ring... (phone rings)
Receptionist: "Heritage Lodge."
Gunter: "Yea, uh, hello, uh, we need a uh umm, we need a room for tonight..."
Receptionist: "Say that again, what's ya, what's your name?"
Gunter: "My name is Gunter, Gunter Schmidt, Gunter Schmidt, aus, aus, from a, from a, Munchen err Munich..."
Receptionist: "Look, you better just come in, I'll see ya when ya get ere."
© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities and Disability Services Queensland) 2007.