Background and Focus Areas of Webinar Series

Demographic Changes:
Serving Consumers from Diverse Cultural and Ethnic Backgrounds

Dates:
March 4, 2009 - Part One
March 18, 2009 - Part Two

Speakers

• Lucy Wong Hernandez, Director & PI - TACE Center: Region IV (Southeast TACE)
• Daniel Wong - East Carolina University
• Sam Velez-Teruel - North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Independent Living Rehabilitation Program (NC- DVRS-ILRP)
• Shirley Madison - South Carolina State University & East Carolina University
• Nathalie Mizelle - East Carolina University
• Celeste Hunt - Lunbee Tribe, North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (NCDVR)

Background

It is projected that by the year 2020, 30 percent of the people entering the labor force will be from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds (or minorities). According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), immigration influx will continue at a rate of about 1 million per year, with10 percent of the U.S. population being foreign born. Immigrants will become more common in areas of the country that have so far seen few immigrants, such as the southeast region. The immigrant population living in the six states that currently have the largest immigrant population (California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas) will continue to increase, and they will increasingly spill over into neighboring states.

This increase of emerging population from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds will contribute approximately to 29 percent of the total projected household growth, with Hispanic immigrants accounting for over 11 percent; Asian/other immigrants, 8 percent; white immigrants, nearly 6 percent; and African decent immigrants 4 percent. Other studies indicate minority populations will contribute almost two-thirds of the projected household growth (64 percent) over the next two decades, with Hispanics-Americans constituting with over 31 percent; African-Americans 20 percent; and other culturally diverse groups (mostly Asian- Americans), 13 percent.

According to various studies, there is a higher incidence of work disabilities among minorities: 13.7 percent of African-Americans and over 8.2 percent of Hispanic-Americans as compared to 7.9 percent of European Americans. One reason for the disparity may be that persons from diverse minority backgrounds engage more frequently in high risk employment such as agriculture, petrol-chemicals, construction, fishery and other service industries where the incidence of accidental disabilities also occurs more frequently. Because of this disparity, individuals with disabilities from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds who need vocational rehabilitation (VR) services have been consistently expanding in great numbers.

Vocational rehabilitation counselor perceived biases regarding the provision of services to consumers from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and inequitable treatment of these individuals has been identified as a critical issue in the vocational rehabilitation process. The Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 states: “Patterns of inequitable treatment of persons from minority backgrounds have been documented in all major junctures of the vocational rehabilitation process. As compared to European-Americans, a larger percentage of African-American and Hispanic-American applicants to the vocational rehabilitation system are denied acceptance for vocational services (VR) services.”

Consumers with disabilities from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds face many barriers in receiving adequate and effective VR services and their employment outcomes are minimal when compare to other groups. The barriers that the minority consumer with a disability face include difficulties with understanding the vocational rehabilitation process and system, language and communication barriers, feelings of isolation, encounters with service providers lacking knowledge of the consumer’s culture, and challenges related to their socio-economic, acculturation and present situation in life. Often service providers have a responsibility to provide a voice for consumers who cannot speak for or represent themselves in various situations that they encounter while working towards achieving their rehabilitation goals.

Understanding culture enhances the skills of vocational rehabilitation service providers to avoid stereotypes and biases that can undermine the process and effectiveness of VR and other related services. In addition, understanding the population being served promotes a focus on the positive characteristics of a particular group and reflects an appreciation of cultural differences. Knowledge of cultural differences is an important part of working with culturally-different consumers as culture plays a complex role in the development of skills and human service delivery programs.

Culturally-based approaches that build on the strengths of diverse communities and acknowledge and respect different cultures result in services and interventions which can lead to effective practices and successful rehabilitation outcomes. The cultural appropriateness of vocational rehabilitation services may be the most important factor in the accessibility of services by individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Developing culturally-based and evidence-based practices can help reduce barriers to effective vocational rehabilitation outcomes and services utilization.

Focus Areas of Webinar Series

• The culturally diverse family in America
• Understanding the definition of culture
• Cultural perspectives and perceptions of chronic illness, disability
• The culturally based well-defined family and gender roles
• Attitude toward life events and impact of religious views
• Perceptions of physical and mental disabilities
• The impact of chronic illnesses, disabilities and secondary conditions
• Perceptions toward services providers and rehabilitation counselors
• Recommendations for VR and its partner agencies directors and managers, training supervisors, rehabilitation counselors, evaluators and employment placement personnel
• Training culturally competent rehabilitation counseling professionals
• Outreach and culturally-based services
• Resources and networks available

American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

The purpose of this webinar presentation is to raise awareness and share knowledge about the Lumbee Tribal efforts to ensure culturally-based vocational rehabilitation services to tribal members with disabilities. The mission of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (LTNC) is to nurture, promote and secure for all time the Lumbee way of life and community, promoting educational, cultural, social and economic well-being of tribal people with disabilities, and securing justice and freedom for the members. The goal of Lumbee Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (LTVR) Services is to create and provide vocational rehabilitation services and promote successful employment for members with disabilities of the LTNC, consistent with individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, so that the consumers can prepare for, secure and retain gainful employment. The LTVR ensures that culturally sensitive VR services are provided to Lumbee tribal members with disabilities. The Lumbee tribal service area consist of Robeson, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland counties in the state of North Carolina (57,200 tribal members reside making the largest American Indian tribe east of the Mississippi River).

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