Health and support service needs of individuals with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: a scoping review protocol

BACKGROUND: All individuals should have the right to engage meaningfully in occupations that meet their aspirations and life goals as well as promote their health and well-being. For individuals with disability, meaningful engagement in occupations is supported by timely, effective, and adaptive health and support services. However, research has revealed multiple barriers preventing utilization of these services by individuals with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This review aims to identify gaps and solutions in health and support services of individuals with disability from CALD backgrounds to meaningfully engage in occupations. METHODS: A scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews. A detailed search strategy will be used to search CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycInfo, JBI, and Cochrane Library, as well as grey literature in Trove, Mednar, and OpenGrey from January 1974 onwards. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations and full-text articles for eligibility against specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion. Data will be extracted and presented in a diagrammatic or tabular form accompanied by a narrative summary. DISCUSSION: The scoping review will present the health and support service needs of individuals with disability from CALD backgrounds and will extend the current reviews as it focuses the engagement in meaningful occupation. Findings from this review have the potential to inform local policy discussions and practice-based disability care. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/HW2FB). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13643-021-01587-8.