Partnering for strengthened outcomes and impact

CBM Australia supports people with disabilities and their families to take pathways out of poverty and exclusion, ultimately benefiting the whole community. We strive for social justice and to end the cycle of poverty and disability.

No one should be isolated or marginalised because they have a disability. Our community-level programs provide opportunities for people with disabilities to understand their rights, access to education, medical assistance and equipment, and become agents for local change.

CBM works with local partners including local Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs), so that people with disabilities influence local decisions, including how we work. Without your charitable contributions and donations to support people with disabilities during times of extreme difficulty, it would not be possible for CBM Australia to make direct and long-lasting change for those living in poverty across the globe.

CBM acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) to 18 projects that responded to COVID-19 in 2020.

CBM COVID-19 response

COVID-19 set CBM and our partners a clear challenge: to make sure no one was left behind in country-level responses. The pandemic exposed gross inequality and highlighted discrimination faced by people with disabilities. 

CBM’s International Programs (IP) and Inclusion Advisory Group (IAG) responded swiftly to the pandemic. IP partners adapted work in eye health, inclusive community initiatives, mental health and humanitarian responses. We were thrilled that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) allowed flexible use of our Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) grant. Partners addressed new and pressing needs such as accessible public health messages, protective personal equipment (PPE), emergency provisions and additional training. 

CBM Australia’s Annual Report 2022

Across recent years, every organisation has been forced to take a disrupted and adaptive approach to making plans and looking to the future. Australia, our region, and the world are grappling hard with the major challenges presented by climate change and COVID-19. We know that we are seeing the first increase in extreme poverty in over two decades, alongside increased inequality and displacement, with the rights and needs of the most vulnerable being overlooked or unsupported. The climate and COVID-19 crises seriously compound long-standing barriers to inclusion. 

This annual report is all about striving to be an authentic ally for people with disabilities in the global realities of 2022, and with a focus on a sustainable program future in partnership and collaboration with the disability movement.