Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Media Forum

16. Disabilities and Diversity

[Audience Member] So my question really has to with, I've seen a lot of stories out there, and as a Latino American I am disappointed on how non-diverse as far as stories on… when we talk about racial justice and things of that nature, it's pretty diverse.

But when we talk about disability issues, there's a lot of stories on white kids or white adults, not a lot of stories on Latino kids or Latino adults, African-American kids, African-American adults.

This disability topic involves all racial communities, and I'd like to hear from the panel what your… what you do in your news stories to make sure that diversity is also included in your news stories.

[Ruben Rosario – Pioneer Press] It's a matter of navigation of the media a lot of times.

A lot of people that are media savvy, families that are media savvy, families that have a support system that are able to get the ear of the media, are usually the ones whose stories get told.

And so the only thing I can suggest is that people of color with disabilities, they need to find a way, whether through an organization in their community, or through their own moxie, to try to get their stories out there, because you have a lot of competition.

[Shamus O'Meara - OLWK] This is the largest minority population in the country, people with disabilities.

It crosses all colors, all demographics.

And when we start realizing that and realizing that these are truly civil rights issues, we're all going to be in a better place.

Thank you for the question.

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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

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