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Outreach for All Forum Summary Paper:
Paths to Support Individual Empowerment of People
with Disabilities from Diverse Cultures
Forum Sponsored by the: NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY
July 28, 2003
Wyndham Washington Hotel
1400 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Table
of Contents
Acknowledgments
Executive Summary
History of NCD's Work with Disability and Culture
Description of the "Outreach for All"
Forum
Forum Recommendations
Recommended Topics to Be Addressed in the Federal
Agency "Toolkit"
Recommended "Roadmap" for Follow-Up
Actions to the Forum
Next Steps and Timetable for Action
Evaluations of Forum by Participants
Appendices:
Forum Agenda
Forum Fact Sheet
Participants List
Acknowledgments
The National Council on
Disability (NCD) thanks the following federal agencies for staff
time and interest in responding to pre-forum inquiries, and for
their senior officials' support, partnership, presence and active
participation during the forum.
Department of Education
Department of Health and Human Service
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation
Equal Employment Opportunities Commission
Federal Communication CommissionSocial Security Administration
Members of NCD's Cultural Diversity Advisory Council
(CDAC) provided support for acting on the policy of integrating
diversity issues into all of the agency's work. CDAC members-Paul
Leung, Ph.D., Jean Lin, Darrell Simmons, Esq., Deb Smith, Ed.D.,
LaDonna Fowler, (former CDAC Vice Chairperson) and Ting Mintz (former
CDAC Chairperson)-provided guidance and direction in the design
and planning of the forum, reviewed pre-forum documents, and/or
identified potential participants.
NCD also values the contributions of Theda Zawaiza,
Ph.D., for her role in making the agency's three-part Cultural Diversity
Initiative-resource mapping, literature review, and the forum-a
reality. Dr. Zawaiza also served as lead consultant for the forum
and was assisted by Claudia Gordon, Esq. Along with logistical and
material preparations for the forum, contributions of Counterparts,
Inc. contractors Josefina Duran and Cappie Morgan included the drafting
of this summary paper.
Outreach for All Forum Summary: Paths To Support Individual
Empowerment Of People With Disabilities From Diverse
Cultures
Executive Summary
I have learned a great deal about the challenges
federal agencies face as they reach
out to diverse groups with disabilities." Cultural Representative
at the Forum
The National Council on Disability (NCD) is a small
federal agency with a large responsibility-that of bringing disability-related
issues to the attention of the President, Congress, and other government
leaders. Among NCD's objectives is to connect with grassroots organizations
and to incorporate diverse perspectives in recommendations to government.
This is particularly important because people with disabilities
from diverse cultures sometimes find themselves outside the mainstream
of American social and economic life not just because of disabilities
but also because of barriers that may be related to language, cultural
heritage and/or economic status.
On July 28, 2003, the NCD hosted a working meeting
in Washington, DC, that brought youth and adults from multiple cultures
across the country together with senior officials from nine federal
agencies and one White House initiative. Sixty people spent a full
day in work sessions that focused on finding ways to create a two-way
street for people with disabilities who come from diverse communities
and government agencies that have a responsibility for providing
appropriate services and for supporting empowerment and movement
toward full participation in society.
A rich mix of people came to this working meeting.
Using its connections with grassroots communities, NCD invited to
Washington people who are African Americans, Native Americans--Navajo,
Arapaho, Apache, and Inter-Tribal representatives, Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders--Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Filipinos,
and Hispanic/Latinos--Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican Americans,
as well as people of other backgrounds. The participants represented
a broad array of people with and without identified disabilities,
including youth. Using its political and governmental connections,
NCD also brought to the table government officials from the U.S.
Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and
Urban Development, Justice, Labor, and Transportation, the Social
Security Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, and the White House Initiative
on Asian and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities. The forum was
enriched further by diverse heritages among many of the federal
agency representatives who were also people with disabilities.
For the first time, "cultural brokers" sat down equally
at the table with federal government policymakers and program leaders.
The goal was to listen to and learn from each other about how to
communicate in meaningful ways about community level needs, access
federal appropriate resources, and to connect the two. During the
forum, distinguishing the federal officials from the cultural "experts"
was hard. They shared disabilities. They shared a broad array of
ethnic heritages. They shared interest in the notion of meaningful
outreach. As federal officials and cultural representatives worked
side-by-side all day, the atmosphere of candor and collegiality
was remarkable-bringing to life the statement: "We're all in this
together."
Prior to the forum, federal officials had also provided
NCD information about the extent each agency already addressed disability
and diversity issues internally and with the general public. The
valued agency responses will set the background for NCD's potential
follow-up activities and next steps with individual agencies. During
the forum work sessions, participants developed recommendations
for a cultural diversity resource toolkit and for an outreach roadmap
of suggested actions beyond the forum. Among the actions were calls
for (1) a Presidential order clarifying the need and role for federal
agencies around outreach as national demographics shift, and (2)
interagency efforts to address ways the federal government can provide
more accessible programs and services through seamless, culturally
sensitive, and simplified processes.
Participant evaluations of the forum show that the
learning went both ways. The day of dialogue offered a look behind
the scenes both into cultural differences and into government functioning.
Certain officials offered to host future meetings of this nature
so that the dialogue initiated during the forum could continue.
A non-government participant said "it was good to have federal officials
to talk directly with," and went on to acknowledge the challenge
federal agencies face in disseminating information about rights
and programs to people in the expanding array of diverse cultural
communities.
Collegiality evident during the day translated into
commitments at day's end. Several federal agency representatives
and one Congresswoman offered assistance-i.e., meeting space, disability-support
technology, willingness to disseminate information, and a readiness
to share forum recommendations with the Congressional Black Caucus-that
can keep the field-federal dialogue going. "Cultural experts" from
the field offered themselves as consultants to federal agencies.
Both government and grassroots participants asked for connection
and follow-up information. NCD, delivering on its mandate to support
collaboration among federal agencies and links to communities, said
that it stands ready to host ongoing discussions of this nature
via teleconference calls. NCD also committed to completing and disseminating
a resource "toolkit" aimed at making available to federal agencies
cultural information, outreach approaches and materials, and models
of communication skills that can enhance the ways agencies connect
with people with disabilities from cultural communities.
NCD's "Outreach for All" forum was a partnership among
government officials, people with disabilities, disability advocates,
and advisory groups that are knowledgeable about disability needs
and attitudes within the various cultures. This forum was a first
phase in what NCD and the participants intend as ongoing dialogue
between government and citizens with disabilities from diverse cultural
heritages.
There is a wealth of talent and [there are many]
ideas here that we 'feds' can tap into.
Federal Agency Forum Participant
Outreach for All Forum Summary: Paths To Support Individual
Empowerment Of People With Disabilities From Diverse Cultures
History of NCD's Work with
Disabilities and Culture
People with disabilities from diverse cultures have
not been full participants in the country's efforts to eliminate
disparities, remove barriers, and protect civil and human rights
through the enactment of federal laws and initiatives. The representation
of African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans,
Alaskan Natives, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders among
54 million Americans with disabilities is startlingly high in comparison
to their representation in the overall national census. For example,
notwithstanding the census data collection issues particularly for
people from diverse cultures, Native Americans ages 16-64 years
report 27 percent disability-far higher than the incidence rate
in the general population of the U.S. and the very highest among
all cultural groups.
Within its overall purpose as a federal agency, NCD
is responsible for working towards the empowerment of individuals
with disabilities so that they can achieve economic self-sufficiency,
independent living, and both inclusion and integration into all
aspects of society. In order to carry out this purpose for all Americans,
over the years NCD has given special attention to people with disabilities
from cultural groups since data show that they can be the hardest
to reach and yet they are among those people most in need of improved
and appropriate services.
For more than ten years and in a variety of formats_
public hearings, regional and/or community-level focus groups, symposia;
work sessions, and national meetings_ NCD has put a spotlight on
the unmet needs, barriers, and special problems people with disabilities
from diverse cultures face as they seek services that could support
their desires and efforts to be recognized as resourceful, contributing
members of social and economic life. NCD has generated multiple
reports to the Administration and Congress that include recommendations
pertaining to equal protections of the civil and human rights of
people with disabilities from diverse cultures. A recurring theme
across recommendations made in the NCD reports is that outreach
efforts to people with disabilities from diverse cultural origins
need to be improved and that families, practitioners, community-based
organizations, and government agencies should work together to find
ways to bring about this improvement. In the spirit of serving people
with the greatest need as described in the reports, NCD created
a Cultural Diversity Initiative (CDI) in FY 2003. This initiative
puts into action several recommendations spawned by the earlier
meetings on diversity and disability. CDI consists of three related
projects designed to promote within federal agencies public awareness,
advocacy, networking, policy-making and research about people with
disabilities from diverse cultures. The primary goal of CDI is to
provide definitive information about promising practices for successful
outreach to people with disabilities from diverse cultures in relation
to their rights and opportunities under various civil rights laws.
A secondary goal of CDI is to promote capacity- building among federal
agencies for integrating issues that affect people with disabilities
from diverse cultures into the federal agenda. Immediate benefits
include contributing to the knowledge base and understanding among
federal agencies about how to meaningfully include people with disabilities
from diverse cultures in agency activities.
The three separate but inter-related projects of NCD's
Cultural Diversity Initiative are research, development of a "toolkit,"
and hosting a national forum.
1. The research aspect of CDI involved reviewing
existing literature on outreach to people with disabilities from
diverse cultures, including social marketing and outreach efforts
by federal agencies and non-profit organizations. Products of
this research include a cataloguing of promising factors common
to successful outreach efforts as well as of "gaps" in diversity
outreach.
2. The toolkit project aims to develop specific
resources for use by federal agencies to enhance their outreach
to people with disabilities from diverse cultures. This toolkit,
which is to be ready in the fall of 2003, will include fact sheets
on federal disability policies, information on designing and managing
strategic outreach initiatives, and models of promising outreach
policies, programs, and products.
3. The "Outreach for All Forum" was designed
to bring about face-to-face dialogue among grassroots people with
disabilities, their advocates, and federal officials. Its purpose
was to give life to the idea of grassroots-government collaboration
and to prompt communication about outreach approaches and practices.
The forum also served as a point of connection for CDI's three
aspects: research, toolkit, and face-to-face dialogue.
Description
of the "Outreach for All" Forum
The July 28, 2003 forum held in Washington, DC, was
an invitational working meeting of 60 people. One third of the people
at the forum were "experts" from diverse cultures (Native American,
Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and African American people).
NCD brought the participants together to work shoulder-to-shoulder
with 20 officials from nine federal agencies along with a representative
from the White House Initiative on Asian and Pacific Islanders with
Disabilities.
The forum was a daylong working meeting. After greetings
from NCD leaders and messages from members of Congress and five
federal agencies (Education, Health, Housing and Urban Development,
Justice, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), the bulk
of the day was spent in workgroup sessions. Work group participants
were charged with developing recommendations to federal agencies
about ways to enhance federal outreach efforts to cultural communities.
The day's agenda can be found in the appendix of this document.
The way the day unfolded is described below.
Role of National Council on Disability
Members
In addition to carrying out their regular duties as Council members,
six of the fifteen members appointed by the Bush Administration
were requested to share leadership roles in preparation for and/or
during the forum. Prior to the forum, Council 2nd Vice Chairperson,
Dr. Glenn B. Anderson and Council members Marco Rodriguez, Milton
Aponte, Esq., and Kathy Martinez assisted with the design and planning.
At the forum, Lex Frieden, NCD Chairperson, welcomed participants
and set the tone for the day of collaborative work. Milton Aponte,
Esq., who is also parent of a child with a disability, served as
forum facilitator throughout the day. Dr. Young Woo Kang, Council
Member, shared information about the recognition of and respect
for cultural differences, the impact of attitudes toward the concept
of disability, and his personal experiences as a Korean-born professional
who is blind and who immigrated to the United States as a young
adult. Council member Kathy Martinez facilitated the large group
forum sessions where the three workgroups assembled to report their
findings and recommendations. Council members also participated
in forum work groups.
Messages from the House of Representatives
Two members of Congress addressed the opening session of the forum:
- Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christensen,
Representative from the U.S. Virgin Islands, applauded the purpose
of the meeting and expressed her interest in improving the federal
government's outreach to people with disabilities from diverse
cultures. She also offered to present recommendations resulting
from the forum to the Congressional Black Caucus and to ask for
its backing of action steps.
- Congressman Major Owens,
Representative from Brooklyn, NY, addressed the forum by telephone
and expressed his solidarity with its goals. He stated that it
is critical to outreach to-and to organize-people with disabilities
from diverse cultures so that they can compete successfully for
the resources that are available from federal agencies. By obtaining
the supports that are theirs by right, Congressman Owens emphasized
that people with disabilities can become strong contributors to
the American social and economic experience.
Messages from the Leaders
of U.S. Federal Agencies and Initiatives
The leaders of five federal agencies sent greetings to forum participants
through senior agency officials as follows:
U.S. Department of Education (DOED):
- Loretta Petty Chittum, Deputy Assistant
Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS)
- Joanne Wilson, Commissioner, Rehabilitation
Services Administration (RSA) of the U.S. Department of Education's
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Current Department of Education
Outreach Initiatives: Both Department of Education representatives
catalogued some of their agency's current outreach programs
to people from diverse cultures. These included: grants to institutions
of higher education to prepare students from diverse cultures
for careers in rehabilitation; a regular head-count of the number
of people from diverse cultures who are served in each state's
rehabilitation system; leadership programs for people with disabilities
from cultural communities; specific programs focused on Native
Americans, Pacific Islanders, and migrant families; and grant-writing
workshops offered to cultural organizations to help them compete
successfully for federal dollars.
DOED Commitments to Outreach:
Both federal education representatives voiced their personal
commitments and that of their organizations to working with
NCD to improve outreach initiatives to cultural communities
and to support follow-up actions on the forum:
"We look forward to working with NCD on this outreach
effort." Loretta Chittum
"Let RSA know if there is any way we can help
support your work to change people's attitudes so that we can
all live the American dream." Joanne Wilson.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
- Dr. Margaret Giannini, Director of
the Office of Disabilities, Office of the Secretary of HHS.
Current HHS Outreach Initiatives:
Dr. Giannini pointed out that the creation in 2002 of the Office
of Disabilities within the Office of the Secretary shows the commitment
of the leadership of HHS to disability issues. This commitment
can also be seen in the work of HHS' Office of Minority Health,
which focuses on improving services to ethnic and linguistic minorities,
and in the work of HHS' Office of Indian Health, which has a steering
committee specifically responsible for addressing the needs of
people with disabilities from those cultures.
HHS Commitments to Outreach:
Dr. Giannini went on to say: "I think that if we all partner,
we can make this effort grow, expand, and be replicated throughout
our nation. I applaud the National Council on Disability for convening
this meeting because it's important for us to spark a dialogue
and to identify concrete actions that we can take together to
meet the needs of persons with disabilities from diverse cultures."
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ):
- Loretta King, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General for Civil Rights Division.
Current DOJ Outreach Initiatives:
The Department of Justice is one of the few federal agencies
that has a specific task force set up to work on outreach to
people with disabilities from diverse cultures. As evidence
of the importance of the NCD forum, several members of this
task force (John Wodatch, Head of Disability Rights at DOJ,
Maurice Champagne, and Felicia Sadler) attended the "Outreach
for All" forum and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with other participants
throughout the day.
DOJ Commitment to Outreach:
Mrs. Loretta King said: "It is incumbent upon us in the government
to reach out to all ethnic groups, cultures, and races in order
to make sure that whatever rights people are entitled to are
made known to them so that they can live to their fullest potential
in this country." She went on to say: "We need to realize that
abilities come in all colors." Later in the forum, Felicia Sadler,
DOJ Outreach Task Force member, suggested that federal agencies
share their relevant databases about people with disabilities
from diverse cultures involved in outreach efforts.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):
- Carolyn Peoples, Assistant Secretary
of HUD's Office of Fair Housing:
Current HUD Outreach Initiatives:
The Office of Fair Housing is HUD's enforcement arm, responsible
for providing equal housing opportunities for all, including
people with disabilities from every culture.
HUD's Commitment to Outreach:
Ms. Peoples said: "The 'minority' and disability agenda can
only move forward with an active and passionately involved leadership.
The top three priorities [for HUD and for all of us involved
in disability issues] are leadership, leadership, and leadership."
Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC):
- Naomi Earp, Vice Chair, EEOC:
Current EEOC Outreach Initiatives:
The very mandate of the EEOC requires outreach to all in order
to assure equal access to opportunities.
EEOC's Commitment to Outreach:
Ms. Earp described the challenge that faces federal agencies,
organizations at all levels, and individuals: "The odds are
very, very heavily stacked against young 'minority' Americans
with a disability. [We need] a generation of professionals from
minority communities with disabilities and with positions of
influence and power who find it in their own self-interest to
change things." She, too, picked up the leadership theme stated
by Ms. Peoples of HUD: "We need to recruit and mentor researchers,
administrators, and professional leaders who are personally
invested in and have the wherewithal to advance a diversity
agenda."
Additional Federal Agencies Present at the Forum
Four additional federal agencies and a White House
Initiative sent representatives to take part in the outreach forum.
In several cases, more than one office from these agencies was represented.
The additional federal agencies and initiative were: the Federal
Communications Commission, the U.S. Social Security Administration,
the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Labor
and the White House's Initiative on Asian and Pacific Islanders
with Disabilities. A large majority of these federal officials stayed
for the full day and worked alongside "cultural brokers" and disability
and cultural advocates.
Presentations from Experts
Experts on disability and culture then addressed the
morning session of the forum to provide a context for the workgroup
tasks that were to follow.
- Claudia Gordon, Esq., consultant
to NCD, a young adult who is deaf, and the lead worker on the
literature review of outreach practices to people with disabilities
from diverse cultures, looked at "New Generations" of advocates.
She spoke about current young adults with disabilities who want
not just to be included but also to be leaders in decision-making
about policies, programs, accessibility, and outreach to people
of culture. Ms. Gordon described NCD's Youth Advisory Committee
and the guidance it is providing to NCD on a broad range of issues
that affect young people with disabilities. In closing, Ms. Gordon
said: "[All of us] have an obligation to help develop the leadership
capabilities and to encourage the passion and drive of young people,
to give credit to their voices and perspectives, and to offer
them a place at the table."
- Milton Aponte, Esq., National Council Member
who facilitated the full-group sessions of this forum, spoke about
the "Foundations for Building a New Framework." He revisited NCD's
history-as portrayed in its publications-of advocating for the
needs of people with disabilities from diverse cultures. He pointed
out the agency's unique role as broker between the federal government
and consumers from all walks of life and all heritages, and he
cited the "Outreach for All" forum as an example of NCD's continuing
responsibility as fomenter and convener of dialogues around disability
issues.
- Dr. Glenn Fujiura, Director of the
Department of Disability and Human Development at the University
of Illinois at Chicago, spoke about the demographic realities
of culture and disability, using his own experience growing up
in one of Chicago's many ethnic neighborhoods as a starting point.
Dr. Fujiura recommended five action steps for a "National Outreach
Agenda."
1. Outreach must move beyond
race-based distinctions. It should be less about color
and more about the un-served and under-served.
2. Outreach must transcend disability.
A great effort has already been invested in coalition building
around human rights issues. Dr. Fujiura feels that disability
gains by being part of a shared advocacy effort focused on rights.
"Common causes can be found."
3. Outreach must go beyond cultural
competency. It must challenge not just the systems, but
also the source of inequities in those systems such as bias,
lack of access to services, and poverty itself that put children
and adults of all races at risk.
4. Outreach must understand
its history. An outreach agenda must learn from the rich
history of literature and of reports focused on poverty, it
must understand why minorities have been slow to reach leadership
ranks, and it should take into consideration prior recommendations
related to diversity and disability in order to build on what
others who came before have learned.
5. Outreach must have three
core priorities: Leadership, leadership, and leadership.
"The odds are very, very heavily stacked against young 'minority'
Americans with a disability. There's a desperate need to nurture
[them] so that there can be more than token representation on
committees, advisory panels, and the like. The 'minority' and
disability agenda will not move forward without an active and
passionately involved leadership. This requires a generation
of professionals from minority communities with disabilities
and with positions of influence and power who find it in their
own self-interest to change things," according to Dr. Fujiura.
Preparation for Workgroup Sessions
Ethel D. Briggs, Executive Director of NCD, then charged
participants to "dig deep" into their personal histories and experiences
and to use these perceptions during the workgroup sessions. She
then instructed participants to divide into three workgroups and
to tackle two issues important to putting action behind ideas that
empower people with disabilities from diverse cultures to become
part of the mainstream of America's social and economic life. Both
at mid-day and at the end of the day, NCD Council Member, Kathy
Martinez moderated full-group sessions where each of the three work
groups presented its findings and recommendations for action to
be taken to enhance federal outreach to people with disabilities
from diverse cultures. The next section of this paper lays out the
recommendations made by forum participants.
Forum
Recommendations for Action
The heart of NCD's "Outreach for All" forum was the
workgroup sessions held for one and a half hours in the morning
and for an additional hour in the afternoon of the all-day meeting.
Each workgroup of 15-20 members included a mix of "experts" from
diverse cultures, representatives from at least six federal agencies,
NCD Council members, and other disability advocates. Two "discussion
movers" guided each group's discussion period. The discussion movers
are leaders in the disability movement and most have diverse heritages,
including two former NCD Council members.
Workgroups focused on two topics: 1) improving a draft
toolkit for federal agencies to use in outreaching to people with
disabilities from diverse cultures, and 2) establishing a roadmap
for future federal outreach efforts.
Toolkit Improvement
Morning workgroup participants were asked: What
are the key components that should be contained in a "toolkit"
NCD is developing for use by federal agencies to inform people
with disabilities from diverse cultures of their rights under
law and of the services available to them? Workgroup discussions
began with a review of the draft components proposed by NCD for
a federal toolkit. Workgroup participants were charged to improve
and/or augment the starter-set of ideas.
Establishing an Outreach Roadmap
Afternoon workgroups were asked: What specific
steps should be taken in the near future to put muscle into and
action behind the outreach recommendations made by grassroots
and federal participants in the July 28, 2003 forum?
Note that in both action areas ("toolkit"-related
next steps and "roadmap"-related next steps) the National Council
on Disability was seen by forum participants as the key follow-up
agent. However, in some cases participants' suggestions were outside
NCD's authority to implement under the agency's Congressional mandate
and other suggestions would require a much larger staff and budget
than has been appropriated to NCD. Nonetheless, NCD indicated its
willingness to engage in supportive follow-up actions as far as
possible.
Workgroup participants also saw NCD as the refiner
and disseminator of the toolkit, as nurturer of improved inter-
and intra-agency dialogue focused on culturally sensitive and effective
outreach approaches, and as the on-going connector of grassroots
community-level advocates and government officials interested in
issues that affect culture and disability. In addition, a number
of Presidential, Congressional, inter-agency/across and intra-agency/within
actions were suggested.
Forum participants developed a number of recommendations
for completion of the outreach resource toolkit and for developing
a roadmap of actions.
1. Recommended Topics To
Be Addressed in the Federal Agency "Toolkit"
Question Posed to Workgroups: What should be
included in NCD's "toolkit" to enhance federal agencies' outreach
efforts to people with disabilities from diverse cultures?
What follows are the combined recommendations from
the three workgroups. Suggestions that affect the table of contents
of the "toolkit" are mentioned in conjunction with the chapters
set up in the draft document.
a. Strengthen the "Overview" section
of the toolkit
Do this by building on the federal agency involvement with the Outreach
Forum itself by including letters from federal agencies that show
their goal of providing a high level of services to all people,
including those with disabilities, with a special focus on those
from diverse cultures.
b. Enrich the "Glossary of Terms"
chapter in the toolkit
Assure that the toolkit contains a strong section on cultural competence.
This section should:
- Define what is "cultural competence."
- Show how various ethnic groups may define cultural
competence differently and explain that even within major ethnic/racial
groups there can be significant differences. For example, there
are over 550 federally recognized Native American/Alaska Native
tribes in the U.S. with dissimilar attitudes about disabilities,
about human rights, and about federal and state government services.
- Give examples of ways agencies can be respectful
of cultural vocabulary such as making efforts to use language
of the target population and demonstrating respect for their traditions.
- Work towards finding a common language across
agencies related to disabilities, culture, and outreach.
c. Create a section in the toolkit on skill building
- Grant-writing skills-Develop
a chapter on grant writing (how to identify grant opportunities,
how to respond to Requests for Proposals [RFPs], ways to develop
proposal-writing skills, and mechanisms for involving families
in grant design) in order to strengthen cultural groups' chances
of getting federal funds. (Note that some grants have been written
specifically to support outreach activities to cultural communities.)
- Complaint-filing skills-Inform
toolkit users of ways to file complaints about discrimination
(disability, cultural, etc.). Advise both grassroots people and
federal officials about filing processes: what to say, how to
file, how to bring complaints to the attention of senior policymakers,
how to monitor responses, and how to track data about complaints.
d. Enrich the chapter of the toolkit
that showcases effective community-level outreach opportunities
Ensure that the chapter in the toolkit on "Diversity Paths to Support
Empowerment" identifies specific grassroots avenues for reaching
out to ethnic communities. Examples are:
- Use ethnic-oriented TV, radio, and newspapers.
(Develop a master list of media outlets that serve diverse cultures,
and recommend ways to connect to and collaborate with them.)
- Connect with grassroots neighborhood groups, community
centers, and churches.
- Work with opinion leaders in cultural communities
such as religious leaders.
- Make sure that business owners are part of outreach
efforts since employment of persons with disabilities is such
a critical issue. (Examples: Target Asian Chambers of Commerce
and Hispanic/Latino Business Associations.)
- Target small enterprises that reflect cultural
flavors-beauty and barbershops, nail salons, ethnic groceries-as
being places to learn from as well as being community-based localities
where messages can be conveyed.
- Reach out to often-forgotten areas of the country,
such as rural areas. Showcase a public service announcement that
targets a cultural community in a very rural area.
e. Somewhere in the toolkit identify
opportunities that help grassroots and government work together
Include in the toolkit a chapter that explores new (or showcases
existing) ways federal agencies and grassroots cultural organizations
can connect. Examples are:
- Co-sponsor conferences and programs (as in NCD's
"Outreach for All" forum).
- Use information technology (share agency and cultural
information via the Internet).
- Work through regional centers and programs to
link federal agencies and ethnic communities.
f. In the toolkit, identify cultural
voices and expertise that already exists in federal agencies
Showcase federal agencies that have PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES in
leadership positions so that:
- People in grassroots cultures can see that individuals
from their backgrounds are valued.
- These "insiders" can be put to work to improve
outreach from federal agencies to local communities.
- Points of contact with both individuals and with
relevant offices such as EEO offices, and Offices of Civil Rights
within federal agencies can be clearly identified and then used
as entry zones for queries and/or ideas related to cultural issues.
g. Develop a toolkit chapter specifically
on health and mental health issues
Remembering that in many cases disability has large health components
and that mental health is an important aspect of well being in all
cultures, make sure that the toolkit has a strong section on both
health and mental health, especially as these arenas are perceived
by and acted out within diverse cultures.
h. In the toolkit's section on "Federal Disability
and Civil Rights Laws" include
- The fact that ADA does not apply to tribal all
governments based on the sovereignty factor. Refer to examples
of tribes that have developed laws addressing protections for
people with disabilities on tribal lands.
- A clear description of Section 504 in Title 5
of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended-a non-discriminatory
provision for any entity receiving federal dollars. Forum participants
felt that ADA seems to be spoken to in the draft toolkit, but
that additional serious attention needs to be paid to Section
504.
i. Give examples of promising programs/practices
Identify the outreach strategies and practices that already exist
within federal agencies or at the local level. Examples mentioned
at the forum:
- The Dept. of Justice's private/civic program in
cities. Have NCD recommend that promising programs such as this
one is beefed up, improved, then spread to other cities.
- Broward County's Family Care Council that used
Administration on Developmental Disabilities/HHS federal fund
to bring together families and consumers for empowerment training,
problem solving, and the development of a plan of action.
2. Recommended "Roadmap"
for Follow-Up Actions to the Forum
Question Posed to Workgroups: What next steps
should be taken to develop a roadmap, including a timetable for
implementing the recommendations made at NCD's "Outreach for All"
forum?
For purposes of action-oriented follow-up, the recommendations made
by forum workgroups have been clustered in categories related to
which bodies-the Administration, Congress, federal agencies, outreach
activists-might take the lead in carrying out next steps. Forum
participants made recommendations as follows:
a. The President should:
- Issue an Executive Order that mandates government
agencies give priority to outreach to people with disabilities
in diverse communities. Within the order:
- Require each agency to appoint a disability outreach
coordinator.
- Name a specific federal agency to direct an inter-agency
steering group that is responsible for identifying and sharing
stellar federal government outreach approaches and expertise.
- Mandate that each agency-through the inter-agency
steering group-report back to the White House within "x" timeframe-maybe
6 months to one year-on outreach activities. (Consider using the
New Freedom Initiative's multi-agency reporting system-"Delivering
on the Promise/"with HHS as the coordinating agency-as the example
for implementing this Executive Order.)
- Alternately, consider using the ADA Coordinating
Committee as the communication and coordination mechanism among
federal agencies for outreach to cultural communities.
- Hold federal agencies accountable (through GPRA)
for doing a better job of outreach to people with disabilities
in diverse cultures.
- Use Executive Order 13166 as a model for the new
one on outreach.
b. Congress should:
Establish a National Commission
on Outreach responsible for holding hearings both on
the need to and ways of connecting with people with disabilities
from diverse cultures. Legislation that creates this commission
should specify its composition, its funding authority, the entity
to which it will report, and timeframes for action.
Pass legislation that mandates
federal agencies give priority to outreach as they carry out their
agencies' missions. The provisions outlined
in the next section ("Federal Agencies Should") could be contained
in that legislation.
c. Federal Agencies should:
In order to enhance the federal government's outreach efforts
to people with disabilities from diverse cultures, each of the
nine federal agencies that have partnered with NCD in its Cultural
Diversity Initiative should agree at the highest level (level
of the secretary) to commit them to giving priority to outreach
efforts to people with disabilities from diverse cultures. This
commitment would take the form of an agency-wide Executive Order
or formal decree. Specific provisions of this decree would include
a commitment to:
Create/identify a disability office(s) within
each agency, and define a regular
way for them to communicate both among the different branches within
that agency as well as each other (across agencies). The offices
could serve as disability resource centers to each agency. Note:
An alternative approach could be to start with agencies that already
have advisory bodies on outreach to cultural communities (the FCC
does and the DOL has one on Native Americans). Bring the existing
bodies together, then ask the remaining federal agencies to create
similar bodies and fashion a coordinating mechanism among them.
Identify or hire "outreach champions."
- Identify people with disabilities already operating
within each agency whose experience can inform agency outreach
efforts.
- Hire additional PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES from
diverse cultures and use these people's experience and sensitivities
to guide outreach efforts.
Make sure that complaints about failed outreach
are heard at the highest levels of the agency.
- The Congressional and/or agency mandates that
raise the profile of outreach issues within the federal government
should create a specific grievance mechanism that makes sure
that complaints about misconnections or lack of connections
with cultural groups reach the highest decision-making levels
of agencies so that lessons are learned and improvements can
be made.
Allocate specific resources
(funds in each agency's budgets) to improve outreach activities.
Use federal agency leadership retreats and
training to promote improved outreach.
(Identify the leadership retreats and/or leadership training some
federal agencies sponsor, and promote the importance of outreach
at those retreats.)
d. Outreach Activists should:
The suggestions that follow were not assigned to any single action
group, but were compiled from recommendations by forum organizers,
federal agency officials, and other forum participants.
Enlist the support of churches
such as the Congress of National Black Churches as well as other
religious organizations of all types in outreach efforts to people
with disabilities from diverse cultures: (Note: These organizations
would need to be helped to see that it is in their interests to
become disability and cultural advocates.)
Find ways to enlist existing civil rights groups
to help with outreach to people with disabilities from diverse cultures.
Help them understand that disability and cultural issues are part
of their core human rights agendas.
NEXT
STEPS AND TIMETABLE FOR ACTION
The stated goals of NCD's "Outreach for All" forum-and
the ways it accomplished them-were as follows:
Call attention to existing federal
agency efforts in disability and diversity outreach. The forum
accomplished this by providing opportunities for federal agency
leaders to give examples of their current outreach efforts and the
strategies they are using to reach un-served and under-served people
with disabilities from diverse cultures.
Infuse the New Freedom Initiative
with a cultural focus: As one example, the White House Initiative
on Asian and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities was represented
at the forum. In addition, NCD's Chairperson, Lex Frieden highlighted
in his forum remarks the Administration's support through the New
Freedom Initiative's (NFI) goals of inclusion for all Americans
in the country's social and economic life and NFI's congruence with
NCD's mission, as well as and the goals of the Outreach Forum.
Initiate dialogue about coordination
of outreach practices: The recommendations made by forum participants
related to the "roadmap" of follow-up activities repeatedly emphasized
the importance of both inter- and intra-agency coordination and
collaboration so that successful outreach methods and approaches
to people from diverse cultures can be shared within and across
the federal government.
Identify a common core of resources:
Forum participants came up with a series of specific recommendations
aimed at improving/enriching the "toolkit" that will be used by
federal and other agencies serving people from diverse cultures
to inform them of their rights and of the services and programs
available to them at federal, regional, and local levels.
NCD's
Role in Next Steps and Timetable
At the very end of the "Outreach for All" forum,
Milton Aponte, Council Member and facilitator for the working
meeting, said that NCD stands ready to support the following actions
as next steps with estimated timelines:
Early fall-Make sure
that the report on the forum, including workgroup recommendations
for next steps, is posted on NCD's website.
By the end of the 2003 calendar year-Incorporate
into the "toolkit" the ideas from the forum that can enhance outreach
activities by federal agencies. Post the toolkit on NCD's website
so that there is widespread access for grassroots people and their
organizations to the information contained therein.
Early in 2004-Disseminate
the toolkit to NCD's federal partners and as requested, provide
guidance regarding use within the agencies to enhance their outreach
efforts to people with disabilities from diverse cultures. Also
solicit feedback from the agencies about toolkit use.
Within six months of the forum-Adopt
specific ways to continue the grassroots-government dialogue on
outreach issues such as: 1) host NCD-facilitated teleconference
calls among federal and cultural participants at the forum, 2) investigate
the possibility of establishing and monitoring a listserv focused
on outreach, or 3) pursue as many forum recommendations as possible
so that the federal/local dialogue that has begun can continue.
Evaluation of Forum by
Participants
While the rate of evaluation forms returned at NCD's
"Outreach for All" forum was only 21percent, the large majority
of responders said that they relished being in a working session
where both grassroots and government people could share perceptions
about the cross point of disability and culture. There was also
agreement that favored the opportunity the forum provided for
working shoulder-to-shoulder on ways to enhance federal outreach
efforts to cultural communities. "The open discussion [was valuable]
because it gave everyone a chance to give opinions and [build]
consensus towards the future."
Grassroots participants' comments included:
- "I have learned a great deal more about
federal agencies and the challenges they have in outreaching
to diverse groups with disabilities."
- "Contact with the federal representatives
from the White House, the Department of Justice, and others
was very informative."
- "We can [now] establish a better working
relationship with the federal agency representatives who were
here today."
- The most useful portion of the forum was "getting
insights from Federal representatives."
Government official's comments included:
- "[I value] the experience of being able
to connect with people from different cultures."
- "There is a wealth of talent and [there
are many] ideas here that we can tap into."
In terms of the leadership of the forum, over half
of the comments mentioned Dr. Glen Fujiura's presentation (e.g.,
"It was succinct and superb"). Many respondents also commended
NCD's Council member, Milton Aponte for his daylong facilitation
with a "positive attitude."
Finally, participants who submitted evaluation forms
pressed NCD (1) to assure that follow-up activities occur, and
(2) to complete the development of the outreach toolkit and disseminate
it to federal agencies. The suggestions included reconnecting
forum participants via teleconference calls, expanding the outreach
network by augmenting the list of participants with the names
of people who expressed interest but could not attend, working
to establish a listserv focused on outreach issues, and, conceivably,
hosting follow-up meetings of cultural representatives and government
officials in the future. Forum participants also said that they
are counting on NCD to serve as the key link for maintaining the
dialogue initiated at the forum.
Appendix
A: Agenda
Outreach for All: Paths to Support Individual
Empowerment of People with Disabilities from Diverse Cultures
Monday, July 28, 2003 Wyndham Washington Hotel-1400
M St., NW, Washington, DC, 20005
08:30 am Registration (Monticello
Foyer) Participant networking
09:00 am Introduction of
Presiding Council Member Dr. Gerrie Hawkins, NCD Policy Team
Forum Opening, Mr. Milton Aponte,
Esq., NCD Council Member
09:05 am Official Welcome
Mr. Lex Frieden, NCD Chairperson
09:15 am Greetings:
Government Outreach on Diversity and Disability
Invited: Attorney General John Ashcroft and representatives
of heads of the following agencies: The Departments of Education,
Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, Housing and
Urban Development, the Social Security Administration, the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission and the Federal Communications
Commission; Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christensen; Congressman
Major R. Owens
09:35 am New Ways of Thinking:
New Generations, Ms. Claudia Gordon, Esq.
09:40 am Foundations for
Building a New Framework: Why We Are Here, Mr. Milton Aponte
09:50 am Demographic
Realities, Dr. Glenn T. Fujiura, University of Illinois, Chicago
10:05 am The Charge to
Forum Workgroups, Ms. Ethel Briggs, Executive Director, NCD
10:15-10:30 am Movement to Work
Group Locations
10:35 am -12:15 pm: Morning
Work Group Session: Paths to Support Individual Empowerment I:
Toolkit-Developing a Toolkit for Federal Agency Outreach
12:20 pm General Forum: WORKING
LUNCH Work Groups Share Toolkit Ideas, Leader: Ms. Kathy
Martinez, NCD Council Member
1:30-2:30 pm Afternoon Work Group
Session: Paths to Support Individual Empowerment II:
Roadmap-Developing an Outreach Roadmap for Multi-Agency Coordination
and Collaboration
2:35-2:45pm Transition
back to full group session
2:50 pm General Forum: Work
Groups Share Roadmap Ideas, Leader: Ms. Kathy Martinez
3:20 pm Cultural Differences
and Attitudes, Dr. Young Woo Kang, NCD Council Member
3:25 pm Participant Perspectives:
Visions of Success* Leader: Mr. Milton Aponte
4:05 pm Closing: Sur-prizes
and Comments
4:30 pm Adjournment
*This closing session will ask federal and non-federal
participants to respond to the following questions: A. How might
federal agencies collaborate with each other in outreach work
to diverse communities? B. What might be the result at the community-level
of significantly broadened outreach efforts to people with disabilities
from diverse cultures?
Appendix B:
Forum Fact Sheet
National Council on Disability
Outreach for All: Paths to Support Individual Empowerment of
People with Disabilities from Diverse Cultures
Wyndham Washington Hotel--Washington, DC
Monday, July 28, 2003
For over a decade, the National Council on Disability
(NCD) has worked to make national disability policy, laws, programs,
and services more responsive to people with disabilities from
the broad array of cultures that enrich our country. The July
forum will build on this prior work and incorporate the spirit
and intent of the Administration's call within its New Freedom
Initiative to address the needs of unserved and underserved people.
The Forum's specific focus is on effective outreach mechanisms
(practices, materials, approaches) that can be used by federal
agencies to improve their ability to reach and meaningfully engage
people with disabilities from diverse cultures. The goal of this
forum is to develop concrete actions the federal government can
undertake. Specifically, the forum aims to:
Call Attention to Existing Federal Agency
Efforts in Disability and Diversity Outreach:
Provide definitive information on comprehensive outreach efforts
as well as the range of strategies used to reach unserved and underserved
people with disabilities from diverse cultures.
Infuse the New Freedom Initiative
with a Cultural Focus: Provide
opportunities for people with disabilities who represent diverse
cultures and other people with exemplary outreach approaches to
enrich with their experiences the Administration's comprehensive
plan to tear down the barriers that face people with disabilities
across our country.
Initiate dialogue about coordination
of outreach practices: Encourage the development of a roadmap
for multi-agency coordination and collaboration so that successful
outreach methods and approaches to people from diverse cultures
can be shared.
Identify a Common Core of Resources: Critique
for improvement a draft toolkit that will include strategies and
models of outreach already in use by federal and other agencies
serving people from diverse cultures to inform them of their rights
and of services and programs available to them.
Contact Information:
Theda Zawaiza, Ph.D. Voice: (202) 272-0107;E-mail:
Tzawaiza@ncd.gov
Claudia Gordon, Esq. TTY: (202) 272-2074;E-mail: Cgordon@ncd.gov
Gerrie Hawkins, Ph.D. Voice: (202) 272-2116;E-mail: Ghawkins@ncd.gov
or drghawkins@hotmail.com
Appendix
C: "Outreach for All" Cultural Diversity Initiative Forum
Participant List |
Blatchford, Michael |
ASSIST, P.O. Box 4133, Tuba
City, AZ 86045 |
assist@cybertrails.com |
Coward, Bobby |
ADAPT, 4136 Capitol St., NE, Washington,
DC 20019 |
ablebutdisable@earthlink.net |
Curry, Christina |
Harlem Independent Living Center, 5-15
W. 125 St., NY, NY 10027 |
cexec@hilc.org |
Fujiura, Glenn |
Institute on Disability & Human Develop.,
Univ. of IL, Chicago, ILL 60608 |
gfujiura@uic.edu |
Huff, Isaac |
NCD Youth Advisory Committee, 248 Reynolds
Terrace, Orange, NJ 07050 |
I_Huff@superaleja.org |
Leung, Paul |
University of North Texas, P.O. Box 311456,
Denton, TX 76203-1456 |
pleung@unt.edu |
Lin, Jean |
Protection & Advocacy, Inc., 433 Hegenberger
Rd. Ste.220, Oakland, CA 94621 |
jean.lin@pai-ca.org |
Lopez-Reyna, Norma |
Monarch Center, 1640 W. Roosevelt, Rm 651
Chicago, IL 60608 |
nlr@uic.edu |
Lucas, Theresa |
Union of Pan Asian Communities, 1031 25TH
St. San Diego, CA 92102 |
upacyps@aol.com |
Lucero, Danny |
7000 Poplar Ave. #1, Takoma Park, MD 20912
|
navajodjl@yahoo.com |
Mbionwu, Elaine |
National Assoc. of Protection & Advocacy,
900 2nd St.NE, Ste 211, Washington, DC |
elaine@napas.org |
McCrimon, Audrey |
Illinois Dept. of Human Services, 401 S.
Clinton, 7th Fl. Chicago, IL 60627 |
DHSE020@dhs.state.il.us |
McKeithan II, Thomas |
CESSI, 6858 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 250,
McLean, VA 22101 |
TLMCK2@mindspring.com |
Paris, Damara |
Inter-Tribal Deaf Council, P.O. Box 7598,
Salem, OR 97303 |
intertribaldeaf@aol.com |
Rangel-Diaz, Lilliam |
Center for Education Advocacy, 8600 SW
92nd St, Ste. 204 Miami, FL 331576 |
lillyrdiaz@bellsouth.com |
Ross, Gerlene |
Howard University, 2900 Van Ness St., Ste
100 Holy Cross Hall, Washington, DC |
gerlener@excite.com |
Smith-Davis, Judy |
Monarch Center, 10860 Hampton Rd. Fairfax
Station, VA 22039 VA |
judysd@cox.net |
Spinkston, Charlotte(Dee) |
Urban Pride, 1472 Tremont St., Roxbury
Crossing, MA 02120 |
c.spinkston.urbanpride@worldnet.att.net |
Stinchfield, Goyo |
Former Chair Youth Advisory Committee,
P.O. Box 251, Strong, ME 04983 |
gman810@gwi.net |
Tran, Ho L. |
Asian & Pacific Islanders Amer. Health
Forum, 450 Sutter St. Ste 600, San Francisco, CA 94108 |
htran@apiaf.org |
Wu, Cheryl |
Oakland Deaf & Hard of Hearing Youth Project,
17 Moncada Way San Rafael, CA 94901 |
cher36wu@aol.com |
Government
Participants |
Brooks, Leola |
Social Security Administration
|
leola.brooks@ssa.gov |
Carrier, Kristina |
Congressional |
(Intern) |
Champagne, Maurice |
U.S. Dept. of Justice |
(Intern) |
Chittum, Loretta Petty |
U.S. Dept. of Education, OSERS |
(Deputy Assist. Secretary, OSERS, Dept. of
Ed) |
Christian-Christensen, Donna |
U.S. House of Representatives, Virgin Island
|
(Honorable Congress Woman) |
Downing, James |
U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA |
downing.james@dol.gov |
Earp, Naomi |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
|
(Vice Chair, EEOC) |
Enzel, David |
U.S. Dept. Housing & Urban Develop |
brenda_shavers@hud.gov |
Giannini, Margaret |
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services,
OD |
(Dir., Office of Disabilities, Office of the
Secretary, HHS) |
Goodman, Susan |
Social Security Administration, ODISP |
Susan.Goodman@ssa.gov |
Gregory, Pam FCC |
|
Jackson, Dana |
U.S. Dept. of Justice |
Dana.Jackson@usdoj.gov |
King, Loretta |
U.S. Dept. of Justice |
(Deputy Assistant Attorney General) |
Owens, Major |
U.S. House of Representatives, New York
|
(Honorable Congressman) |
Peoples, Carolyn |
U.S. Dept. Housing & Urban Develop |
(Assist. Secretary, Office of Fair Housing,
HUD |
Pledger, Constance |
U.S. Dept. of Education, NIDRR |
connie.pledger@ed.gov |
Sadler, Felicia |
U.S. Dept. of Justice |
felicia.sadler@usdoj.gov |
Schmidt, Peggy A |
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services |
peggy.schmidt@hhs.gov |
Teimouri, Dora |
U.S. Dept. of Education, RSA |
dora.teimouri@ed.gov |
Wang, Eric |
White House Initiative on Asians/Pacific
Islanders |
ewang@hrsa.gov |
Wilson, Joanne |
U.S. Dept. of Education, RSA |
(RSA Commissioner, OSERS, Dept. of Ed) |
Winter, Michael |
U.S. Dept. of Transportation |
michael.winter@fta.dot.gov |
Wodatch, John |
U.S. Dept. of Justice, OCR |
NCD Staff/Intern/Members
1331 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004
Voice 272-2004; TTY 202-272-2074; Fax 202-2722022 |
Barazandeh, Gregoria |
(Intern) |
Milton Aponte, Esq. (NCD Council
Member) |
Briggs, Ethel |
(Executive Director) ebriggs@ncd.gov |
Lex Frieden, Chairperson (NCD Council
Member) |
Brown, Stacey |
(Administrative Team) sbrown@ncd.gov |
Kathy Martinez (NCD Council Member) |
Hawkins, Gerrie |
(Policy Team)
ghawkins@ncd.gov |
Young Woo Kang, Ph.D. (NCD Council Member) |
|