Express your interest to join HCCA’s Disability Health Literacy Consumer Reference Group
Are you passionate about:
- Making sure health information is accessible and understandable
- Helping people with disability understand their health and have a say in their health care
- Improving how health services and workers support the health literacy of people with disabilities
Then you may want to join our Consumer Reference Group or become a Project Advisor!
Read about this role in Easy Read.
About you
We are looking for:
- People who can use their own knowledge and experience as a person with a disability to give us thoughtful advice about health literacy,
- People who understand the needs of ACT disability communities, particularly in how they access health care and health information.
You might be a person with a disability, a carer, a staff member of an advocacy organisation or a service You do not need to have any experience as a consumer representative.
You will be giving us advice on:
- Developing a survey and interview guide so that we can find out about health literacy issues for people with disability in the ACT
- Understanding the results of the survey and interviews
- Ideas that would improve health literacy for people with disability in the ACT
- What we should include in our reports and recommendations
Read the draft Terms of Reference.
The reference group will meet approximately every 2 months from October 2024-June 2025 for 1-2 hours. There may be some work between meetings, including reading and providing feedback on documents.
We know that group meetings are not accessible for everyone. If it is more accessible for you, you could be a project advisor. This means you can meet with the project team 1 on 1 or share your opinions by email.
Reference group members and project advisors will be reimbursed for their participation. Support is available for costs such as transport, interpretation and support workers if needed.
Nomination process
You can nominate for this opportunity by completing the nomination form. If you have any questions about the project, or would like to do your Expression of Interest over the phone, please call Jennifer at HCCA on 6230 7800 or email: [email protected].
We may then organise a phone call or meeting to talk with you and complete the selection process.
People selected for the Consumer Reference Group will be offered free training about health literacy. It is expected that the first meeting of this group will be in November 2024.
Nominations close on 14 October 2024, with outcomes communicated by 21 October 2024.
About the project
HCCA is undertaking a research project to understand the health literacy needs of people with disability living in the ACT and those that support them, including carers, support providers, advocates and health care workers. Health literacy is about people having the knowledge, skills and confidence to:
- find, understand, and use health information
- be active partners in their care, and
- navigate health and social support systems.
Learn more about health literacy here.
This project is aligned with Action 1.3 of the ACT Disability Health Strategy First Action Plan, 2024-2026.
This project will aim to provide:
- A solid, applicable understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in health literacy both broadly and for specific parts of the ACT disability communities and focus areas for action.
- Advice on approaches and resources which may be suitable for adaptation in the ACT.
- Recommendations for where future projects and resources may be targeted to improve the way health workers support the health literacy of people with disabilities.
- Identification of specific services within the ACT that are positioned well for co-designed action research in subsequent years.
This project is funded by ACT Health until 30 June 2025.
If you are interested in this project, please contact us on 6230 7800 or by email at [email protected].