I found a lot of great suggestions and ideas in this report. It can be
quite useful in our own organizations.
kelly
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY
OUTREACH TO MINORITIES
WITH DISABILITIES AND
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
ROUNDTABLE REPORT OF FINDINGS
August 4, 1997
Atlanta, Georgia
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY OUTREACH TO MINORITIES WITH
DISABILITIES AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
ROUNDTABLE REPORT OF FINDINGS
AUGUST 4, 1997, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Extensive data point to demographic shifts occurring in
America and projected for the year 2000 and beyond, including some
emerging information about people with disabilities and
ethnic/racial minority group members. Public policy must seek to
effectively meet these demographic shifts and consequent refocusing
of priorities.
People with disabilities have always been excluded from the
bounty of our nationþs resources. Minorities with disabilities, in
particular, have been the most disenfranchised of the
disenfranchised in our society.
Hon. Rev. Jesse Jackson
National Rainbow Coalition
Reverend Jacksonþs words, quoted in the National Council on
Disabilityþs (NCDþs) 1993 report, Meeting the Unique Needs of
Minorities with Disabilities, remain an important challenge as we
approach the 21st century. Moreover, Reverend Jacksonþs
observations regarding minorities with disabilities also have
relevance for people with disabilities living in rural communities,
many of whom are also members of minority groups.
NCD has been advocating for federal policy that meets the
needs of minorities and rural residents with disabilities for
several years. In response to this challenge and the directives of
recent federal legislation, including the 1992 Amendments to the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, NCD will continue to identify issues
and develop federal policy that will address the unique needs of
minorities with disabilities and people with disabilities living in
rural communities. NCD convened a roundtable discussion on
Outreach to Minorities with Disabilities and Persons with
Disabilities in Rural Communities on August 4, 1997, in Atlanta,
Georgia.
The participants represented a range of disabilities, ages,
organizations, ethnicities, and geographic environments. Yet,
there was consensus that the needs of minorities with disabilities
and people with disabilities living in rural communities warrant
ongoing corrective attention in all aspects of the fabric of
American public policy.
Effective outreach programs, which are an important vehicle
for communicating public policy to underserved groups and involving
underserved groups in the public policy process, can not be
initiated, implemented and/or sustained without respect,
understanding, and sensitivity toward racial, ethnic and geographic
diversity. It is critical, for example, that any outreach program
pay attention to trust and the degree to which the particular
target community may view outsiders as invasive. Accordingly, it
is very important to utilize natural support systems to make
outreach meaningful and productive. The best outreach programs are
doomed to failure if the agency or entity conducting the outreach
is not flexible enough to be inclusive or examine its existing
policies, procedures, and services to ensure meaningful minority
involvement.
The following suggestions highlight some of the major themes
that emerged from the dialogue of the diverse participants. These
suggestions apply to all who have a role in crafting and
implementing public policy that affects people with disabilities,
including but certainly not limited to NCD.
Recommit to the requirements articulated in the 1992
Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, especially Section
21, and other federal laws, by developing a national agenda
regarding diversity and disability that accounts for local
variations but is consistent, dynamic, and politically viable.
Develop ongoing education and training which includes all
components of federal disability policy and disability civil rights
laws concerning awareness, knowledge, and ability to assert oneþs
rights among people with disabilities from minority and rural
communities.
Ongoing education and training initiatives must acknowledge
that many federal laws do not apply on Indian Reservations.
Nonetheless, such education and training programs should make extra
efforts to communicate federal policy to people living on Indian
Reservations and to involve such persons in the policy making
process. Likewise, education and training strategies for American
Indians living outside of Reservations should recognize that many
such American Indians still have strong connections to their
reservation culture and language.
Leadership development is needed so that mainstream disability
leadership reflects geographic, racial/ethnic, and disability
diversity with a clear approach to systems change.
Lack of adequate attention to accessibility issues permeates
through all aspects of American society and government programs
including public rehabilitation.
Building alliances within and external to the existing
disability community leadership is necessary.
Technology must be used as a tool to advance the message and
mission of diversity and disability with utilization of appropriate
methods that are focused on specific problem resolution.
Considerable debate occurred regarding the variance in
language used to represent minorities, ethnic/racial groups,
þpeople of color,þ etc. While no consensus emerged on the
preferred term, there was consensus that the needs of diverse
people with disabilities must continue to receive priority
treatment at the national, state, and local levels.
NOTABLE PROBLEMS
The awareness that minorities with disabilities and people
with disabilities living in rural communities do not access
rehabilitation and other disability-related services and programs
at the rate of their prevalence in the population eligible for
services is well documented (Atkins, 1995; Ayers, 1977; Galeaþi,
1995; Walker, et al., 1995; & Wright, 1988). The participants at
the NCD roundtable identified critical issues that interfere with
minorities and rural residents with disabilities accessing needed
services. Some of the key challenges identified by the
participants follow.
RESOURCES
Without adequate resources, inclusion of minorities with
disabilities and people with disabilities living in rural
communities will not occur. The critical lack of resources
continues to undermine the very fabric of equality and has led to
serious erosion of the willingness of minorities and rural
residents to participate in needed public rehabilitation and other
programs designed to meet the needs of all people with
disabilities. The specific problems identified underscore the
importance and complexity of resource issues in relation to
disability and diversity.
1. Need to target human, economic, and other resources to
minorities and rural residents in their communities (þnothing about
us, without usþ).
2. Services tend not to reflect the needs of
minority and rural communities with policies reflecting majority
urban culture and the exclusion of values of particular minority
and rural subgroups.
3. Travel and transportation to services often
precludes involvement of people living in isolated communities or
people with limited resources and limited options for accessible
and affordable public transportation.
4. Lack of technology limits access.
5. Failure to network and build alliances with
resources existing in minority communities.
6. Failure appropriately to involve the community
and family in planning and service delivery strategies.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Communities lacking knowledge and skills needed to maneuver
the complexities of contemporary living are doomed to fall further
and further behind their peers residing in more educationally
advanced settings. It was extremely clear from the Atlanta
participants that lack of knowledge, skill, and adequate
information is of epidemic proportions in many rural and urban
communities especially where the predominance of citizens are
members of minority groups and/or poor. The participants
articulated the problem as follows.
7. Knowledge of federal disability policy and
programs is lacking along with knowledge of human/legal rights.
8. Self-esteem development is lacking in service
delivery often resulting in feelings of powerlessness.
9. Diverse cultural definitions of disability are
excluded from most education and training programs.
10. Diversity education is lacking in many of the
ongoing public education andtraining programs.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
Leaders have the power and the responsibility to set the tone
for organizations and share power, success, and responsibilities.
Disability leaders must be willing to do better than other segments
of society in promoting inclusion as reflected in legislation and
demands of citizens with disabilities. The ability to model
diversity in all aspects of oneþs operation is the real measure of
a leaderþs or an organizationþs success. Leadership of people with
disabilities who are also minorities is the real test of shared
leadership and power equity. The problems that are articulated
below reflect critical areas of need.
11. Leaders tend not to reflect the diversity of
disability communities.
12. Leaders are often more concerned about politics
than people.
13. Leaders often do not model inclusion.
14. Diversity is usually missing from disability
organizationsþ vision, mission, goals, and strategic plans.
15. Lack of real commitment of leaders to diversity
issues is reflected in all aspects of organizations.
16. Leaders do not promote alternative systems of
service.
ATTITUDES
One of the major hindrances to equity in American society is
the attitude of the majority towards members of minority racial and
ethnic groups and people from rural areas. The world of disability
policy and programs is not immune to this societal problem.
Attitudes impact upon expectations, services provided, resources
employed, and outcomes. If attitudes are not changed for the
positive, substantive lasting change is unlikely to occur. The
unfinished business of race relations in America has devastating
impact on people with disabilities from minority groups. As
reflected in these problem statements, there is a need for ongoing
attention to this often overlooked component of the disability
community.
17. Trust is lacking between minority and majority
communities with and without disabilities.
18. Services do not typically demonstrate respect
for different cultural values, beliefs, and treatment/healing
methods.
19. Fear is expressed by minorities with and
without disabilities regarding majority intentions for
information/data collection.
20. Prejudice and bias of majority society toward
minorities and people with disabilities continue to predominate.
21. Patronizing approaches are often used when
dealing with minorities and rural residents who have disabilities.
22. There is a belief that the media image of
minorities often fosters fear.
Far too many of these problems are not new to the American
fabric. Thus, many of the recommendations and solutions
incorporate contemporary insights, experiences, and research in the
area of disability and diversity that can have far reaching
implications on the quality of life for citizens with disabilities
who are also minorities or rural residents. The charge of this
diverse group of participants is for immediate action to resolve
the identified problems.
SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The solutions and recommendations below cut across all of the
areas of disability policy. Many specific recommendations were
made for NCD, and NCD is in the process of addressing those
recommendations. For example, NCD has created a Minority Issues
Subcommittee, chaired by Council member Hughey Walker, and has
included several minority-related activities in its FY 1998
workplan. The additional outreach strategies articulated may have
different implications for urban than for rural communities often
lacking resources including transportation and accessible,
integrated programs and services. All other solutions and
recommendations will be grouped according to the issues identified
in the problem section.
These recommendations represent the collective wisdom of the
diverse participants along with the critical factors that must be
adopted to ensure success of diversity as an ongoing value of
public policy. The overarching goal is to develop an articulated
vision and targeted outcomes that include all of the components of
the public to be served by public policy. These findings are
provided to all components of the public disability service system
(federal, state, tribal, local, education/training, Independent
Living Centers, Client Assistance Programs, etc.).
RESOURCES
23. Promote best practices and model programs that
target specific minority and rural communities allowing for unique
tailoring of the practices and models.
24. Facilitate sharing of resources that do not
promote unhealthy competition.
25. Establish mobile outreach programs that can
maximize limited resources and expand geographic impact.
26. Access local newspapers that target selected
minority and rural communities and distribute posters, brochures,
flyers etc. to places frequented by minority and rural citizens
with disabilities and their families.
27. Include alternative healing/treatment methods
as viable tools to be used.
28. Develop varied strategies for compliance with
federal requirements for funding, reporting, and access to
services, and, where necessary, develop strategies for reaching
populations on Indian Reservations who are explicitly excluded from
many federal civil rights laws and other federal laws.
29. Link transportation needs with technology to
foster access to needed services andinformation.
30. Utilize all existing educational resources as
tools for learning and sharing regarding diversity and disability.
31. Avoid duplication of services through the
promotion of collaboration and team-work.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
32. Develop model education and training programs
for grass roots organizations with minority and rural membership
and leadership in advocacy, ADA, fundraising, disability
information, and civil rights.
33. Engage churches, employers, tribal
organizations, and other already established/respected minority
entities in learning about disability and infusing disability
issues into their ongoing activities.
34. Promote diversity as the norm in all disability
and mainstream programs.
35. Implement a þtrain-the trainerþ model to
enlarge minority participation and leadership in disability and
diversity.
36. Establish long-term models and programs that
foster systems change and eliminate the þone-shotþ training
approach to diversity and disability.
37. Work with all education and training components
of rehabilitation and related areas to establish culturally
relevant approaches and outcomes.
38. Expand dissemination mechanisms to include
traditionally under used resources that the minority community can
help identify.
39. Create an idea þthink tankþ that is inclusive
where the agenda is set by the participants.
40. Include all human resources in ongoing
education and training with appropriatefeedback/evaluation points
for correction and monitoring of progress. Education is everyoneþs
business including federal, state, and local entities.
41. Build in opportunities for developing computer
literacy in all appropriate education and training programs.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP AND SYSTEM CHANGE
42. Need for a change in the typical disability
program ethos regarding leadership which includes the
disability/diversity connection and systems change.
43. Explore minority communities from an asset
perspective that builds on strengths.
44. Model behaviors, attitudes, and values that
promote inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and choice.
45. Expand network of collaboration to include such
groups as the Conference of Mayors and other leadership groups
which are national, ethnic or tribal specific.
46. Establish accessible leadership development
programs that are culturally relevant and sensitive to models other
than þexclusivelyþ competitive.
47. Establish mutual relations with health, school,
court, employment, and related systems for potential
referrals/collaboration.
48. Develop a presence in the minority community
that is positive.
49. Expand service delivery system to include
models that work in minority communities that support cooperation,
self-determination, shared decision-making, shared
responsibilities, and cultural/tribal pride.
50. Advocate for health care in minority
communities.
ATTITUDES
51. Promote pride in diversity and focus on assets
not perceived problems andlimitations.
52. Learn about the contributions of diverse
individuals and groups nationally and locally.
53. Become involved in self-assessment to determine
biases, prejudices, and racist attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
54. View parents, family, and community as allies
and promote clarification of accurate information.
55. Celebrate difference as a positive and
eliminate the belief that diversity is a problem.
56. Share knowledge to reflect attitude change,
expanded opportunities, and self-determination.
57. Promote employer attitude enhancement that
results in increased employment for people with disabilities who
are minorities and people with disabilities living in rural areas.
CONCLUSION
Despite any differences of opinion regarding strategies and/or
techniques, the vision and goal cannot be compromised: Quality
inclusive services and public policy that meets the needs of all
people.
Since the adoption of the 1992 Amendments to the
Rehabilitation Act and other federal laws mandating special efforts
to ensure participation in federal programs by minorities with
disabilities and people with disabilities living in rural
communities, implementation strategies have been employed. Yet,
the challenges inherent in the need for systems change continue to
exist. The refocusing of federal disability-related legislation on
diversity, empowerment, collaboration, employment, and choice
continue to reflect more vision than reality. The insightful
wisdom of Congress to target resources and mandates to þmobilize
the resources of the nation to prepare minorities for careers in
vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and related
services,þ for example, provides a unique opportunity to craft the
future. Moreover, there is a need for federal disability-related
legislation to be extended to Indian Reservations. Following up on
the findings and recommendations contained in this report, NCD will
continue to promote federal policy that meets the needs of all
people with disabilities.
Nonetheless, the perplexities of diversity and disability are
increased due to the primary and secondary effects of racism. The
primary effect of racism is discrimination/exclusion which usually
leads to inequalities in education, housing, employment, social,
economic, and human services. The combination of the effects of
racism or geographic isolation and disability results in a large
percentage of minorities and rural residents with disabilities
being unable to utilize public programs adequately or to attain
their personal and economic potential.
In the Executive Summary (1993) of the National Council on
Disability report to the President and the CongressþMeeting the
Unique Needs of Minorities with Disabilities, an important aspect
of the challenge is articulated:
Disability policy and disability politics are like other areas
of domestic policy and politics in our nation--they are dominated
by the culture, values, and biases of the majority middle class....
The United States consists of a diverse population and we must make
a conscious effort to meet the needs of all our people (NCD, 1993,
p.1)
The roundtable participants are demanding that more than a
conscious effort be madeþconcerted, consistent, and culturally
competent action must ensure a WIN-WIN outcome for all.
The challenge for current disability leaders, administrators,
and all employees of organizations who serve the public is to work
in partnership to create an environment which effectively utilizes
human resources, and which includes people from diverse backgrounds
in disability programs and services as consumers, educators,
researchers, administrators, service providers, and others. As
minorities with disabilities and people with disabilities living in
rural communities continue to strive to obtain full participation
in American society, NCD will be an active partner seeking to bring
these perspectives to the national policy process.
No single agency, program, educational institution,
organization, or employer can address the issues raised in this
report by itself. Yet, each is a vital component of the solution.
The concepts of cultural sensitivity and cultural synergism warrant
ongoing attention. The charge is to create an environment for
success, support what works, advocate for needs, and establish
partnerships and linkages within and outside of the disability
policy community. The cited recommendations need to be included in
all planning and decision making in public and private groups that
serve people with disabilities.
Disability leaders and the programs and people who serve
people with disabilities must have the courage to lead by example
and to do better than other segments of the society in developing
leadership and ensuring a diverse and competent workforce.
Through collaboration, empowerment, inclusion, and systems
change, we can enhance the programs designed to serve people with
disabilities to be more responsive, effective, and efficient for
all Americans. Minorities with disabilities and people with
disabilities living in rural communities are a critical link on the
Bridge to the 21st Century.
REFERENCES
Atkins, B.J. (1995). Diversity: A continuing rehabilitation
challenge and opportunity. In S. Walker, K.A. Turner, M.
Haile-Michael, A. Vincent, & M.D. Miles (Ed.), Disability and
diversity: New leadership for a new era (pp.34-38). Washington,
DC: PCEPD & HURTC.
Ayers, G.E. (1977). Unique problems of handicapped Black
Americans. The Whitehouse conference on handicapped individuals.
Awareness papers. Washington, DC: Department of Health, Education
and Welfare.
Galeaþi, K.E. (1995). Another perspective on diversity for
rehabilitation administration to the Journal of Rehabilitation
Administrators. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, 19, (2),
157-160.
Wright, T.J. (1988). Enhancing the professional preparation of
rehabilitation counselors for improved services to ethnic
minorities with disabilities. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation
Counseling, 19, (4), 4-10.
NCD (1993). Meeting the unique needs of minorities with
disabilities. A report to the President and the Congress.
Washington, DC.
1. NCD wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Bobbie J. Atkins,
Ph.D., CRC, in facilitating the Round Table discussion in Atlanta
and in preparing the first draft of this report.
2."Accessibility" or "accessible," as these terms are used in
this report, refer to architectural, transportation,
communication, technology, and environmental access, as well as
non-disability related access issues like language, culture, and
geography.
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