ISSUES RELATING TO DIVERSITY

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ISSUES RELATING TO DIVERSITY
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LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

• TITLE IX
• PUBLIC LAW 94-142, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION ACTS
• AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT (also Title III of
  ADA)
• CIVIL RIGHTS ACT (1991)

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LEGAL REQUIREMENTS CONT.

• If you employ people to work within the programs
  you develop, consider
• EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) laws
• ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967,
  amended 1978 1986)

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PRINCIPLES

• SELF-EXAMINATION -Assumptions, values,
  prejudices, equity
• INFORMATION GATHERING - Recognize stereotypes,
  myths, find literature written by ethnic
  individuals, women etc.

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• CONTENT INTEGRATION - move beyond just adding
• SOCIAL ACTION SKILLS - Use team building Teach
  critical thinking, problem solving, conflict
  resolution, communication (interaction)

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MAXIMIZING CLIENT PARTICIPATION SATISFACTION

• CREATE FEELINGS OF WELCOME
• TREAT AS INDIVIDUALS
• EXPECT FULL PARTICIPATION
• TREAT EQUITABLY
• COMMUNICATE BEFORE EDUCATING

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FACTORS TO CONSIDER

• FEELING WELCOME - Stereotypes, name preference,
  challenging participants, content related to
  different cultures - visual, verbal, written
• TREATING AS INDIVIDUALS -Stereotyping - gender
  roles, cultural expectations, tokenism, mentoring
• FULL PARTICIPATION - Dominant style, impersonal
  vs. interpersonal
• FAIR TREATMENT - Assessment / Evaluation,
  participation, interactions
• COMMUNICATION FIRST - personal contact, express
  interest in whole person, dialogue support

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WHAT ARE SOME DIVERSITY DIMENSIONS YOU NEED TO
THINK ABOUT FOR YOUR PROGRAM?
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DIVERSITY DIMENSIONS

• LEARNING/PARTICIPATION STYLES
• ETHNICITY/RACE
• DISABILITY
• GENDER
• AGE
• SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS / CLASS
• PHYSICAL FEATURES

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RESPONDING TO DIVERSITY DIMENSIONS
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LEARNING/PARTICIPATION STYLES

• 1. AWARENESS
• Knowledge of personal and instructor styles
• Range of diversity within group
• 2. ANALYSIS -
• what style demands are made?
• What provisions are made to accommodate?
• 3. STYLE FLEX
• Match, stretch, balancing

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ETHNICITY/RACE

• Identify own biases, stereotypes, become more
  informed re. culture and history, recognize
  complexity of todays person - distrust, fear,
  anger, ill will
• Seek input re. cultural events, info,
  neighborhood, community, politics
• Identify value placed on individual, family,
  religion, personal/impersonal
• Consider in establishing pace of learning, amount
  of content

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• Emphasize importance of different viewpoints
• Provide extra assistance for ESL clients
• Identify limitations of stereotypes
• Suspicion of white remedies - reliance on folk
  remedies
• Use cultural imagery through storytelling
• Identify current status - refugee-psyche/social
  risks

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• Encourage collaborative relationships
• Meet with client informally
• Recognize diversity in assignments and
  evaluations, visual, verbal, written
• Provide opportunities for clients to get to know
  one another
• Consider community-based experiences
• Encourage other members of the family
• to participate

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DISABILITY

• Ability first, Disability comes second
• Clarify special needs
• Be flexible
• Be sensitive to hidden disabilities - learning,
  sensory deficits, emotional
• Ensure access, accommodation, visibility
• Modify instruction, activity, communication,
  identify assisting technology

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GENDER

• Identify listening and participation patterns
• Encourage interpersonal and impersonal strategies
  - accommodate variety
• Check language patterns, interaction patterns,
  activity assignments, roles

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AGEISM

• Different values, knowledge
• Provide assurance, encouragement
• Encourage collaboration, incorporate their
  experience
• Be aware of dynamics between age groups
• Use ability of self-direction

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• Identify needs in relation to physical and
  functional capacity -modify activity, duration,
  intensity, modality, surface
• Identify concomitant illnesses, influence of
  medication
• Modify equipment

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SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS/CLASS

• Consider issues relating to education, status and
  wealth.
• Identify backgrounds, neighborhoods, needs and
  concerns, skill levels
• Get to know backgrounds informally
• Identify limitations - time money,
  transportation, clothing etc....

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• Identify alternative strategies to deal
  with limitations
• Consider alternate strategies for
  decreasing limitations