Factors That Prevent Equitable Access to Rehabilitation for Aboriginal Australians with Disabilities: The Need for Culturally Safe Rehabilitation

Objective: To investigate the barriers that prevent Aboriginal people with disabilities from accessing rehabilitation services. Study Design: Qualitative study with assistance from a local community research partner. Setting: A predominately Aboriginal town in Australia. Participants: Sixteen service providers from the local town, 8 from the nearest regional town, and 4 local people with disabilities. Main Outcome Measures: Data were categorized into themes that represented barriers to appropriate rehabilitation. Results: Six major themes were identified, including aspects of Aboriginal culture that influenced the ability of Aboriginal people with disabilities to access services and cultural stereotypes on the part of non-Aboriginal service providers. Conclusions: Significant obstacles to appropriate service provision exist in Australia. Models of culturally safe rehabilitation must be embraced.