Designing Culturally Competent Training Events

1. TASC is sponsored by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). TASC is a division of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). TASC CONFERENCES & TRAINING EVENTS PRESENTER GUIDE # 3 Designing Culturally, Disability and Linguistically Competent Training Events January 2009

2. PRESENTER GUIDE # 3 General Information About Training Events Hello. I am Byron Stith, Disability Advocacy Specialist for the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). Thank you for your interest in designing culturally, disability & linguistically competent training events.

3. Every training event should include at least one learning objective focused on expanding the cultural competence of participants. For example, a workshop about special education for children with disabilities might focus on: • Understanding the unique needs of students with Limited English Proficiency, and their families; • Improving communication skills in representing students with developmental disabilities; or • Enhancing accessibility of an advocate’s services in rural communities.

4. What is “cultural competency”? A culturally competent presentation is one that provides information that takes into account the cultural makeup of the audience. “Culture” includes, for example, a person’s gender, race, ethnicity, language proficiency, disabilities, sexual-orientation, trauma histories, etc.

5. Cultural-Competent Advocacy Skills Enhancing the cultural-competent advocacy skills of persons attending a workshop, means helping them to: • respond to the beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, language, and behaviors of individuals who are receiving services, • because culturally competent services have the greatest likelihood of ensuring maximum access to participation in the service provide.  Source: The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/ddact/DDA.html

6. FIRST STEP The first step to achieving these goals is to acknowledge and accept that “cultural” differences exist. Cultural differences will impact, among other things: • How the information you present is understood. • The extent to which others engage. • Your audience’s view of how the information you present impacts them and the individuals they serve.

7. FIRST STEP (cont’d) EXAMPLE Let’s say that you are presenting a workshop on housing at a conference where participants advocate on behalf of Native Americans. Recent census statistics indicate that over 50% of this population lives below the poverty line. Your presentation can highlight this fact and explore the impact poverty has on the ability of advocates to help their clients obtain housing.

8. SECOND STEP The second step is to realize that process is as important as product. EXAMPLE It’s not enough just to research a couple of housing statistics and present it to the audience. In the process of developing your presentation, you should consider how the information presented will be culturally relevant to audience members.

9. THIRD STEP The third step is to incorporate culturally relevant material into your presentation. EXAMPLE If you are facilitating a session where the majority of participants are not Native-American, could the information highlighting poverty among Native-Americans still be relevant? Answer: Absolutely. Including this information will increase the cultural competency skills of persons attending your session. They can be aware of poverty issues to provide more effective housing advocacy to Native-Americans.

10. LET’S REVIEW Cultural competence is: • providing services, supports, or other assistance in a manner that is responsive to the beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, language, and behaviors of individuals who are receiving the services, supports, or other assistance . . . • in a manner that has the greatest likelihood of ensuring their maximum participation in the program involved.

11. REVIEW (cont’d) Cultural differences will impact: • How the information you present is understood; • The extent to which attendees participate; and • Your audience’s view of how the information that is presented impacts them and the individuals they serve.

12. REVIEW (cont’d) The three steps to developing a culturally competent presentation are: • Acknowledge that cultural differences exist and will impact your presentation. • Realize that process is just as important as product during the creation of your presentation. • If possible, incorporate culturally relevant material into your presentation.

13. PRESENTER GUIDE # 3General Information About Training Events If you have any questions, please contact the person on our staff who invited you to be a presenter, or contact me directly: Byron Stith Disability Advocacy Specialist National Disability Rights Network Email: Byron.Stith@ndrn.org

14. PRESENTER GUIDE # 3 Designing Culturally, Disabilityand Linguistically Competent Training Events Handouts available online: http://www.ndrn.org/Meetings/pr.htm • Presenter Guide #1 (PowerPoint) • Presenter Guide #1 (text version) • Effective Communication and Language Access for Individuals with Disabilities (TASC, 2007) • Reaching Out to Underserved Groups/Cultures: Protection and Advocacy Outreach Guidelines (TASC, 2008)