Discussion Boards

Projects

Cultural Diversity--Serving Asian & Hispanic Consumers

Overview

The constantly changing of demographic and cultural configuration of the U.S.A. has alerted human and social service professionals of the need to provide specific services to clients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

These specific services should be offered in different ways according to the requirements imposed by cultural and ethnic characteristics. The American Psychological Association (APA), the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA), and the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA) have long been concerned with cultural issues and have developed specific guidelines for the improvement of services to be provided to diverse consumers.

Persons with disabilities, in particular, from Hispanic and Asian cultures represent a substantial proportion of the population of people with disabilities in the United States. In this presentation, we will discuss cultural variables affecting these populations with respect to applying and receiving rehabilitation services. These variables may include values and believes, rehabilitation expectations, and attitudes towards disabilities. In addition, language, acculturation and assimilation are also discussed as important contributors.

The presentation will also present a recent study, which used a data mining approach to analyze the Rehabilitation Services Administration FY 2001 Case Service Report (RSA-911) data to examine factors affecting eligibility decision-making in the vocational rehabilitation process. Findings of this study have several implications for minimizing racial bias in the eligibility decision-making process.