Abstract
This book is the culmination of work by 50 scholars in the field of rehabilitation and related disciplines who address issues concerning individuals with disabilities from diverse ethnic and/or cultural groups. The origins of the book began at a working conference attended by these and other scholars and organized by the Center for Capacity Building on Minorities With Disabilities Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2007. However, the book was ably crafted by its four editors; the final product shows more design, development, and depth than a mere compendium of platform presentations typically would. Contributing authors include individuals from 17 states, the District of Columbia, and Dublin, Ireland. The book is divided into four sections that are explained in the first chapter: (a) the nature of the scientific research at the nexus of race, culture, and disability; (b) the nature of disparities in rehabilitation and employment outcomes for multicultural populations with disabilities; (c) two categories of models (training and practice) to improve rehabilitation services for multicultural populations with disabilities; and (d) integrative commentaries.
Section I contains two chapters that delineate the conceptual landscape on which the authors wish to build their focused discussions of issues related to the intersection of race, culture, and disability. There is a brief but useful overview of research epistemologies and traditions of inquiry in one chapter; the other gives substantial attention to the ideologies of Black identity and disability identity as well as their contrasts and commonalities. Section II includes seven chapters, which address these respective topics or domains of practice: psychological testing, access to vocational rehabilitation services, challenges to providing culturally competent care in medical rehabilitation settings, mental health service delivery, community infrastructure and employment opportunities, employment and rehabilitation issues for women with disabilities, and cross-cultural issues in the vocational rehabilitation system. To elaborate just a bit, here is a very selective list of some interesting topics and resources discussed in these chapters: a table summarizing general and culturally relevant data on four prominent psychological tests, the concept of colorism (judgments and behavior based on gradations of skin color), a list of nine recommendations for culturally competent care in rehabilitation psychology, use of indigenous healers for mental health problems, a model for a tribal deliberative process grounded in tribal relationships and rituals, demand-side and supply-side approaches to employment success, and cultural factors that explain underutilization of vocational rehabilitation services. Some of the chapters in this section focus on a specific ethnic group, including African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Black Latinos, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives.
Section III consists of six chapters that, respectively, focus on education for cultural competence, multicultural rehabilitation counseling, ethical decision making, conceptual frameworks of cultural competence, capacity building for program evaluation, and job placement. Chapter 14 on the conceptual frameworks provides a rationale and review of the literature on promoting cultural competence; as such, it would be better positioned early in the text to give readers a thorough introduction to the topic. All the other chapters in this section are rich with strategic recommendations and resources for application to the relevant needs of clients, service providers, and organizations. In contrast, the four “Integrative Commentaries” in the final section are reflective and philosophical. Some readers will benefit from these summaries of and projections about multicultural research, training, and practice; others may find these chapters more redundant than insightful, after reading the preceding 344 pages. For example, the author of the final chapter offered two perspectives on how race, culture, and disability intersect. The addition of more detailed future directions and challenging questions, as part of a forum from the contributors to this book for the reader, would have further strengthened the book.
The layout and format of the book make it user friendly and easy to read. The inclusion of tables and figures helps the reader to visualize content of the chapters in a useful summary form. The case studies and scenarios provide the reader with readily accessible examples to apply information. Placement of figures, tables, and case scenarios did not disrupt the flow of information. One of the strengths of this book is the inclusion of experts from numerous states and at least one international perspective, universities and medical institutions, hospitals, independent living centers, business and industry, private practice, research and evaluation consultants, and departments of public health and human services. Representatives from the Council on Aging or related organizations should have been a part of the conference to provide their perspective on the topic.
There are several noticeable gaps in the content of this book. First, there is a lack of focus on rural issues within the context of race, culture, and disability. Rural culture warrants more attention, especially given the unique characteristics of rural culture that intersect with race and disability. Second, since we live in a global society, inclusion of international concerns and contributions could have enhanced the utility of this book. Internationalism has implications for education and training, service delivery, and research; therefore, looking at these from a global perspective could have helped to clarify our current practices and future aspirations. Third, individuals who are multiracial are increasingly prevalent in our society, yet this book did not devote any discussion to such groups. Fourth, sexual minorities cut across all racial and ethnic groups. As I read through the chapters, I anticipated some discussion of gay and lesbian perspectives. A review of the index revealed that this group was only mentioned as part of a listing of other groups. Finally, as individuals age, they are remaining in the workforce for longer periods of time. In particular, aging individuals with disabilities from racial and ethnic minority groups make up an increasing percentage of those in this category. Understanding the disparities in outcomes for aging persons from minority groups should have received some attention.
Overall, I found this book to be a good resource. It addresses disparities in outcomes for diverse populations with disabilities and offers models to improve rehabilitation services. I believe that the reader will be able to apply these models to a variety of diverse populations with disabilities. Although I would not choose it as a primary book for a broad course on cultural diversity, I recommend this book for a course on cultural diversity and disability, or the content could be easily integrated into a course as a supplementary resource. I suggest that faculty members who teach courses on cultural diversity add this book to their collection.