May 6 - 8, 2002
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Providing Culturally Competent Disability Services
to Persons Born in other Countries May 6 - 8, 2002 |
Coalition-building and networking to increase services to the Latino community
Esparza, H.
Progress Center for Independent Living
Forest Park, Illinois USA
hesparza@progresscil.org
Abstract
In order to expand the range of services offered to consumers, it is important for all organizations to work together and share information. Each group has strengths and weaknesses; working cooperatively becomes particularly important when there are more factors that make service delivery difficult. Typically, organizations working to provide services to the Latino community are not aware of disability factors, and organizations providing services to the disability community are not aware of culturally se nsitive issues. Approaches to outreach and collaboration will be discussed. Progress Center for Independent Living is the only CIL in Illinois to have a Latino Personal Assistant Program funded through the Department of Human Services/ Office of Rehabilitation Services, and one of the first CILs to conduct a Latino Outreach Program in Illinois. Mr. Esparza has been a consumer both in Mexico and in the United States and is the Independent Living Coordinator at the Progress Center.