ERIC ED359672: Future Frontiers in the Employment of Minority Persons with Disabilities. Proceedings of the National Conference (March 28-30, 1990).

120 Pages·1991·1.7 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 359 672
EC 301 060
AUTHOR
Walker, Sylvia, Ed.; And Others
TITLE
Future Frontiers in the Employment of Minority
Persons with Disabilities. Proceedings of the
National Conference (March 28-30, 1990).
INSTITUTION
Howard Univ., Washington, DC. Research and Training
Center for Access to Rehabilitation and Economic
Opportunity.; President's Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities, Washington, DC.
SPONS AGENCY
National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
PUB DATE
91
CONTRACT
H133B80059
NOTE
120p.; For selected papers, see EC 301 061-072.
AVAILABLE FROM
Howard University Research and Training Center for
Access to Rehabilitation and Economic Opportunity,
2900 Van Ness St., N.W., Holy Cross Hall, Suite 100,
Washington, DC 20008; President's Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities, 1331 F
Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20004-1107.
PUB TYPE
Collected Works
Conference Proceedings .(021)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Accessibility (for Disabled); Adults; *Agency
Cooperation; American Indians; Asian Americans;
Assistive Devices (for Disabled); Blacks; Children;
Computer Oriented Programs; Cooperative Programs;
Cultural Differences; Cultural Pluralism; Delivery
Systems; *Disabilities; *Educational Opportunities;
*Employment; Employment Opportunities; Futures (of
Society); Hispanic Americ:-.ns; Incidence; Information
Technology; *Minority Groups; Program Development;
Public Policy; Rehabilitation; Substance Abuse;
Teamwork; Technology; *Vocational Rehabilitation
ABSTRACT
This proceedings reports on a national conference
which explored means of eliminating and reducing barriers to
employment, educational opportunities, and rehabilitative services
for minority individuals with disabilities. Section I, titled "Policy
Implications and Future Forecasts," contains five papers with the
following titles and authors: "Future Frontiers in the Employment of
Minority Persons with Disabilities: NIDRR's Role" (William H.
Graves); "Status of Minority Persons with Disabilities: Where Do We
Go from Here?" (Howard Moses); "Prevalence, Distribution and Impact
of Disability among Ethnic Minorities" (Sylvia Walker and others);
"Differences in Rehabilitation Service Utilization Patterns of
African Americans and White Americans with Disabilities" (Faye Z.
Belgrave and Sylvia Walker); and "Substance Abuse among Physically
Disabled Patients in a Hospital Serving Urban Minorities" (Herbert L.
Thornhill). Section II, titled "New Frontiers in Multicultural
Approaches," includes: "Enhancing Diversity: A Multicultural
Employment Perspective" (Lynda R. Campbell); "Hispanics with
Disabilities in the Work Force: A Window of Opportunity" (Antonio
Suazo); "Vocational Rehabilitation and the American Indian: Where Is
the Innovation?" (Jennie R. Joe); and "The Employment of
Asian/Pacific Minority Persons with Disabilities" (Alan H. Woo).
Section III, "Frontiers in Assistive Technology," offers the
following five papers: "Future Frontiers in the Access to Technology"
(Robert W. Nicholls); "Rearing To Read: The Kurzweil Reading
Machines" (Grace J. Lyons); "What Is Appropriate Technology?" (Jan
Galvin and Betsy Phillips); "The Computer: A Vehicle for Access for
People with Disabilities" (Susan Boaz); and "Information Technology
Program for Persons with Disabilities" (Patrick Sheehan). The final
section, "Advancing Frontiers through Collaboration," contains
"Bridges to Leadership 2000: Howard University Youth Leadership
Training Program" (Sylvia Walker and Satwant Kaur); "Maximizing
Potential: The Parents' Role" (Shirley Poindexter Dyer); "America's
Mean Streets: A Challenge to Youth" (Isaac W. Hopkins);
"Collaborative Models: Partnerships for Success" (Joyce Keener); and
"Empowering Minority Persons with Disabilities through Collaboration"
(Toni Killings). (JDD)
Office of Educational Resoarch and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER IERICI
0- This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it
Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quality
Points of view or opinions stated in this docu-
Alb
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BEST COPY AVAI
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE
IN THE EMPLOYMENT OF MINORITY
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Edited by
Sylvia Walker
Faye Z. Belgrave
Robert W. Nicholls
Kimberley A. Turner
Co-sponsored by
THE PRESIDENTS COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
and
HOWARD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER
FOR ACCESS TO REHABILITATION AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
1991
3
Proceedings of the 1990 National Conference "Future frontiers in the employment
of minority persons with disabilities," March 28-30, 1990
In addition to the support received from the President's Committee on Employment
of People with Disabilities, this publication was supported in part by a grant from
the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research, Grant Number H133B80059. The opinions expressed herein are those
of the authors and should not be attributed to the U.S. Department of Education or
the co-sponsors.
Copies of this monograph can be obtained by writing to:
Dr. Sylvia Walker, Director
Howard University Research and Training Center for
Access to Rehabilitation and Economic Opportunity
2900 Van Ness Street, N.W.
Holy Cross Hall, Suite 100
Washington, D.C. 20008
Or,
Mr. Claude Grant, Jr., Program Manager
President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
1331 F Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-1107
4
CONTENTS
iii
Contents
v
Preface
vii
Acknowledgements
vii
Dedication
POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE FORECASTS
SECTION I:
Future Frontiers in the Employment of Minority Persons With Disabilities:
NIDRR's Role
2
William H. Graves
Status of Minority Persons with Disabilities: Where Do We Go From Here?
4
Howard Moses
Prevalence, Distribution and impact of Disability Among Ethnic Minorities
Sylvia Walker, Charles Asbury, Valerie Malhomes, and Reginald Rack ley
10
Differences in Rehabilitation Service Utilization Patterns of African Americans
and White Americans with Disabilities
25
Faye Z. Belgrave and Sylvia Walker
Substance Abuse Among Physically Disabled Patients in a Hospital Serving
Urban Minorities
Herbert L. Thornhill, Dennis Ho Sang,
30
Thomas Hart, and Maria Rivera
NEW FRONTIERS IN MULTICULTURAL APPROACHES
SECTION II:
Enhancing Diversity: A Multicultural Employment Perspective
38
Lynda R. Campbell
Hispanics with Disabilities in the Work Force: A Window of Opportunity
50
Antonio Suazo
Vocational Rehabilitation and the American Indian: Where is the Innovation?
53
Jennie R. Joe
The Employment of Asian/Pacific Minority Persons with Disabilities
62
Alan H. Woo
FRONTIERS IN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
SECTION III:
Future Frontiers in the Access to Technology
70
Robert W. Nicholls
Hearing to Read: The Kurzweil Reading Machines
73
Grace J. Lyons
i i i
What Is Appropriate Technology?
75
Jan Galvin and Betsy Phillips
with Disabilities
The Computer: A Vehicle for Access for People
80
Susan Boaz
Disabilities
Information Technology Program for Persons with
85
Patrick Sheehan
COLLABORATION
ADVANCING FRONTIERS THROUGH
SECTION IV:
Leadership
Bridges to Leadership 2000: Howard University Youth
Training Program
90
Sylvia Walker and Satwant Kaur
Maximizing Potential: The Parents Role
95
Shirley Poindexter Dyer
America's Mean Streets: A Challenge to Youth
102
Isaac W. Hopkins
Collaborative Models: Partnerships for Success
106
Joyce Keener
Empowering Minority Persons with Disabilities Through
Collaboration
110
Toni Killings
6
iv
PREFACE
RICHARD DOUGLAS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
PRESIDENTS COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT
OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Employment of People with
As the new Executive Director of the President's Committee on
reported in this publication
I am pleased to offer these comments. The Conference
Disabilities,
with disabilities. Their
focused on national Issues relative to the employment of minority persons
The incidence of disability
high unemployment rate, documented in the 1980 Census, is startling.
higher than that of their White peers. As a result
among African Americans and Hispanics is much
Conference was formed and subsequent
of the 1980 Census Bureau Report, the 1987 National
the grave employment crisis
regional minority conference meetings were conducted to address
faced by African Americ .ns with disabilities.
the plight of other
Since the 1987 National Conference, much attention has been given to
that one working age adult in
minority persons with disabilities. The 1980 Census data pointed out
American adults age 16 to 64 and not in institutions,
seven has a disability. Of 16,157,000 African
American adults with disabilities. The report
14.1% have disabilities. There are 2,280,000 African
Of 8,325,000 Hispanic adults
revealed that one working age Hispanic adult in twelve has a disability.
8.4% have a disability.
between the ages of 16 and 64 who are not in institutions, 702,000 or
industry to bring more minority
These findings are a real challenge to government and private
This conference addressed some of the
individuals with disabilities into the labor market.
and Native Americans with
employment issues and problems relevant to Asian/Pacific Americans
the employment dilemma faced
disabilities. Within the last few years attention has been given to
disabilities. Asian/Pacific Americans and
by Asian/Pacific Americans and Native Americans with
population, however, it is believed
Native Americans comprise a small percentage of the American
believed that the unemployment
that both groups have high incidences of disability. Further, it is
high. Minority persons with disabilities
rate for both groups of persons with disabilities is extremely
employment. Also, they should be
should be considered and selected for gainful and meaningful
mobility. The goal of the National
recruited and selected for positions that will provide for upward
7
Conference was to continue to explore means of eliminating and reducing existing barriers to
Methods for facilitating
employment, educational opportunities, and rehabilitative services.
employment opportunities for these individuals need to be identified.
with
The presentations were excellent and clearly outlined the needs of minority persons
Increased rehabilitative services, better
The following topics were discussed:
disabilities.
mentoring,
educational opportunities, forming partnerships and linkages, leadership development,
that minority persons with
etc. A common thread that ran throughout the National Conference was
disabilities are underserved and that there has been no real effort by the service delivery systems
to correct the problems.
of
We are deeply appreciative of the hard work that was done by the organizers and planners
spearheading
this much needod conference. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Sylvia Walker for
this conference.
the various
We are grateful to each panelist for sharing their precious thoughts and ideas about
information
topics which they discussed. It is my hope that each of us have gained some valuable
motivate each of us to do our part
from this worthwhile conference and that this conference will
Gainful employment
in assisting minority persons with disabilities in securing gainful employment.
for minority persons with disabilities will greatly aid in obtaining economic independence.
&
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
sincerest appreciation to each of the
The editors wouid like to extend their warmest and
medical, educational, technological,
contributors and to the many national and local rehabilitation,
the success of the Conference and the
and other service delivery agencies who contributed to
publication of these proceedings.
hard in the preparation of this publication.
We are grateful to those individuals who worked very
Special Assistant to Vice-President Dan Quayle
Special thanks are given to Mr. George Covington,
the Employment of People with Disabilities
and Mr. Claudie Grant of the President's Committee on
Anntoinette McFadden, Mrs. Ada Vincent, Ms.
for their support; and to Ms. Marilyn D. Miles, Ms.
outstanding editorial assistance. We are
Tremetrice Houston, and Ms. Elaine Vinson for their
received from the School of Education at
especially appreciative of the support which we have
Rehabilitation Research (of the U.S.
Howard University, the National Institute of Disability and
Employment of People with Disabilities,
Department of Education), the President's Committee on the
sector including Digital Equipment
members of the National Advisory Committee, and the corporate
Corp., AT&T, IBM, and New Jersey Bell.
administrators, staff, students, and faculty
Finally, the cooperation and collaboration rendered by
accomplishment of the identified objectives
of various institutions and organizations facilitated the
atmosphere of fellowship and the
providing a stimulating and informative conference in an
proceedings.
subsequent publication and dissemination of the conference
This publication is dedicated
to the memory of
Eula Mae Walker Thomas
of the City of New York
Mrs. Thomas (Dr. Sylvia Walker's mother)
Dream
was committed to making the American
a reality for all.
v
;1
SECTION I
lavaca YGICAVEGIt
POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE FORECASTS
I (1
1