May 6 - 8, 2002
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Providing Culturally Competent Disability Services
to Persons Born in other Countries May 6 - 8, 2002 |
Including extended families in cross-cultural rehabilitation
Doe, T.
Fulbright Scholar
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington USA
tdoe@uvic.ca
Abstract
In many communities, decision-making is a family process and not done by one member or the head of household. People with disabilities from cultural minorities may need to be served in different ways that include their families for successful cross-cultur al rehabilitation and independent living. After a focus group with representatives from several minority and immigrant people with disabilities, research was conducted with residents of other countries about how they are served in regard to independent li ving services and cross-cultural rehabilitation. This paper will discuss suggestions developed from both in-country and international research. These recommendations focus around the inclusion of extended families in service provision. This includes not o nly siblings and parents, but also extended families and household members of people with disabilities.