CULTURAL GROUPS

EG: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

CHARACTERISTICS

People who were born in another country

People who speak a language other than

English at home

People who are from particular cultural

background such as Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander people.

FIVE MAIN NEEDS

Access to services

Education

Employment

Financial support

Safety, security and self-esteem

ACCESS TO SERVICES

In remote areas of Australia where cultural

groups may reside, access to health services is

difficult due to the ratio of doctors to people

being around 92:100,000.

This is because the higher the number of

Indigenous people that live in remote areas of

Australia, make this population more

vulnerable to difficulties in accessing necessary

professional services.

EDUCATION

Education for the Indigenous Australians is very

important as they are much less likely to complete

high school than other Australians and are less likely

to pursue post-school qualifications.

Education is important for Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islanders as it helps provide them with the

skills that they will need to secure financial security.

EMPLOYMENT

The employment rates for Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islanders are significantly lower

than those not of this culture.

There are agencies in place to help create

more opportunities for Indigenous people such

as The Department of Families, Housing,

Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Indigenous Australians have significantly lower mean

incomes than non-Indigenous people. This means they

have a greater need for assistance.

The median gross individual income for Indigenous

people who completed year 12 was $620 per week,

compared to $811 for non-Indigenous people, therefore

proving that the financial services available for Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islanders are vital to help assist them in

financial problems.

SAFETY, SECURITY AND SELF-ESTEEM

The group has higher health problems including significantly

higher rates of mental illness, lower life expectancy, lower levels

of education and employment and greater difficulties accessing

appropriate housing than non-Indigenous Australians.

With all these issues in mind, it is not surprising that this

population group may suffer from low self-esteem and doubts

about their future which therefore means that there must be

services available to Indigenous people to help them feel safe,

secure and have a good self-esteem.

FACTORS AFFECTING RESOURCES

Education affects access to resources because

schooling and access to other education may be

difficult to enroll in as the bills may be too hard to

pay for as the rate of employment for Indigenous

people is significantly lower than those who are not

Indigenous.

FACTORS AFFECTING ACCESS TO RESOURCES

Employment affects access to resources for

indigenous Australians as they battle with acts of

discrimination and poor working conditions which

Have impacted on their levels of employment.

Although the government introduced indigenous

peoples’ right to equal pay in the workforce in

1960s, employment rates for this population group

are much lower than that of their non-indigenous

counterparts.

FACTORS AFFECTING ACCESS TO RESOURCES

Access to health services affects the access to

resources because indigenous Australians die at a

younger rate and suffer a higher burden of illness

than non-indigenous Australians and this is true for

almost every type of disease for which information is

available. Statistics show that injuries are a major

cause of hospitalization among the indigenous

population.

FACTORS AFFECTING ACCESS TO RESOURCES

Housing affects access to resources because those

living in remote communities have inadequate

housing, substandard or limited access to water

supplies and electricity, limited food storage and

sub-optimal food preparation facilities and poor

drainage or sewerage systems. These housing

problems also impact on health status.

FACTORS AFFECTING ACCESS TO RESOURCES

Security and safety affect Australian aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander access to resources because they are over-

represented in prison populations. There has been a lot of

media coverage about deaths of Indigenous people whilst in

custody. They have greater health problems including

significantly higher rates of mental illness, lower life

expectancy, lower levels of education and employment and

greater difficulties accessing appropriate housing than non

indigenous Australians.