Challenges and solutions involving independent living centers and outreach to Latino communities were discussed at a breakout session during the Proyecto Visión: Bridges to Employment conference last August in Anaheim, California. Contributing panelists included Laura Echegaray, a Latino Disability Educator at the Independent Living Resource Center in San Francisco (ILRCSF); Elsa Quezada, executive director of the Central Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL); and Wendy Wilkinson, who represented the Southwest Disability Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC), located at Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU), in Houston, TX.

Echegaray: "We Need to Meet Latinos Where They Are"

According to panelist Echegaray, the most important means of outreach to Latinos with disabilities is to "meet them where they are." "When I say meet them, I don't just mean physically, but also where they are mentally," said Echegaray. It is also important for independent living centers to be culturally sensitive and avoid the "taco bell approach" to Latino outreach. The ILRCSF, for example, has two bilingual/bicultural staff, including one generalist and one community educator, and a Spanish phone line.

"We need bilingual communication," emphasized Echegaray. "A Spanish line is as much access as a ramp. If you have to deal with a phone without Spanish, that's a barrier."

Latinos with disabilities cannot take advantage of services available to them if they don't know the services exist. According to Echegaray, one key means the ILRCSF used to reach out to Latinos was by persuading local Meals On Wheels services to bring flyers to their homes along with their meals. ILRCSF also did outreach through various government, organizations, local disability organizations, art centers, substance abuse treatment centers, mental health services programs, clinics, churches, senior centers, and attendants service agencies.

Echegaray promoted the use of one-on-one visits in the home as one more outreach tool. "We visited everyone we thought appropriate," she said. In addition, ILRCSF attended community events, networked, and obtained media coverage including an article in the local newspaper.

Using Puppets in Schools

In addition to providing services directly to Latinos with disabilities, the ILRCSF also strives to educate the community, including Latinos, about disabilities. "We went to schools to talk about disability," said Echegaray. "But we don't just talk about disabilities. We give a puppet show. We're entertaining them so they don't mind that I'm also talking and giving information." Echegaray built the puppets for the puppet show herself and wrote the script as well. She takes advantage of one well-known character popular in Latino stories and jokes: "Pepito probably has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," she quipped. In addition, the puppet show has a character who uses a wheelchair. The ILRCSF also uses pictures to convey simple messages that break stereotypes about people with disabilities; one picture is of Abuela Blanca in a wheelchair making a cake for Pepito.

When offering workshops on disabilities, the ILRCSF takes an informal approach with simple communication to accommodate audience members who might not be able to read. "Skits help them get the picture. They feel more real," Echegaray said. For Latinos who do read, the ILRCSF offers materials in both English and Spanish. "Some Latinos can't speak Spanish," Echegaray pointed out. The designs of the brochures are meant to appeal to Latinos; one picture, for example, shows an Aztec chief in a wheelchair.

El Renacimiento de Juanito

One book distributed by the center is El Renacimieto de Juanito, a story written in Spanish and specifically targeted at Latino Americans to educate them about disabilities. In the story, a boy in a wheelchair named Juanito is initially confined to his home because the stairs leading to his apartment prevent his independence. He gradually learns about, and takes advantage of, the services at his local independent living center so he can obtain training, a better living environment, and paid employment. Juanito even develops a love interest by the end of the story.

The ILRCSF provides a Spanish support group for Latinos with disabilities. The center also gathers information on goods and services that do not require a social security number in order to accommodate the needs of immigrants who might not have one. One very important effort, however, has been collaborating with immigrants' rights advocacy organizations, Echegaray said. "These people will work with us for language access," she said.

Contact for ILRCSF

For more information on the ILRCSF, individuals can contact: the Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco, 649 Mission Street 3rd Floor, San Francisco CA 94105. Echegaray can be reached by email at laura@ilrcsf.org, and their web page is available at http://www.ilrcsf.org. Phone numbers include: (415) 543-6222 (voice); (415) 543-6318 (FAX); and (415) 543-6698 (TTY).

CCCIL: Giving Culturally Sensitive, Bilingual Services

Panelist Elsa Quezada from the Central Coast Center for Independent Living shared the center's experiences serving a tri-country area on the central coast of California. Geography has been a particular challenge, she noted. "We want to start going to rural areas and isolated mountains," said Quezada. Many Spanish speakers live in remote areas in California, sometimes in areas with little public transportation. "We need more networking to avoid duplicating services. It's important to give culturally sensitive, bilingual services," Quezada added.

The Central Coast Center for Independent Living serves dramatically different kinds of communities. In Santa Cruz, for example, the Latino population is relatively well-educated and has the second highest earning community in the country. However, the center also is increasingly serving people who have limited education, don't speak English, or are geographically isolated. Historically, Quezada explained, the various areas served by the center have worked in isolation from each other. "There is a need for intensive outreach in English and Spanish about the rights of people with disabilities. We need more networking among services, and a better advocacy system."

IL Centers for Latinos

Quezada observed that there are 29 independent living centers in California. "My goal is to have a bilingual independent living center to develop services. We need to look at the independent living movement and philosophy and see how that fits with Latino culture." The center she works at currently has a total staff of 25 individuals, about 80 percent of whom are bilingual and bicultural.

The center strongly believes in the importance of active outreach. "The community is your office," Quezada emphasized. "This is the area we serve. People can't come to us. My belief is, if you want to serve the people, you have to know where they are. In the Santa Cruz mountain area, we go up because they can't come down to us." Personal connections to the community is also important, said Quezada. "You have to have staff from that community who understand that community."

The center uses several different methods for publicity and outreach. "We use the media. We write in English and Spanish, but that won't reach everyone because some people can't read," said Quezada. "We use the radio and cable TV. You have to have a lot of tricks in your bag, and have a lot of ideas. Whenever I hear a great idea, I write it down."

Quezada pointed out that many young Latino men are becoming disabled from community violence. "We have to go to as many places as we can think of," said Quezada. She mentioned schools as one example. "We always find someone who knows someone" with a disability, said Quezada.

Storytelling can also be a powerful outreach tool, Quezada said. "Stories are important. People remember stories more than the information that people tell you. Encourage consumers to share their stories. That can be empowering."

Contacts for CCCIL

The Central Coast Center for Independent Living can be reached at: 234 Capitol Street, Suite A/B, Salinas CA 93901. Phone numbers include: (831) 757-2968 (voice); (831) 757-3949 (TDD); and (831) 757-5549 (FAX). Elsa Quezada, the executive director, can be reached at equezada@cccil.org.

ILRU: Outreach to Latinos in the Southwest Region

Panelist Wendy Wilkinson shared the experiences of the Independent Living Research Utilization in doing outreach in the Southwest region, including Texas, New Mexico, and other states. "We don't provide direct service," Wilkinson explained, "But we do outreach to people with disabilities, primarily Latinos."

One of their services includes an 800 number that provides technical assistance and information on the rights of people with disabilities. "We have a wealth of information in Spanish," said Wilkinson. "We have a small staff--we're 'everything to everyone.'" In addition, the group they serve is becoming larger. Wilkinson noted that, in Texas alone, by the year 2005, more than 50 percent of the population will be Latino.

The center is always striving to do better. "We have material on the web in Spanish. But cultural competence - have we done that?" said Wilkinson. She noted that the independent living philosophy "didn't work with the Latino population. That took a long learning curve."

"We also need services for Asians, Native Americans and other groups with disabilities in the Southwest region" said Wilkinson. She noted that the region also has many people of Arab heritage who need better services as well. Other overlooked populations include deaf and hard of hearing people and Latinos. "We need to hear from you what we can do to improve services," she said.

Contact for DBTAC

The DBTAC - Southwest Disability Business Technical Assistance Center, is administered by the Independent Living Resource Utilization Program (ILRU), based at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIIR), in Houston, Texas. The Southwest DBTAC can be reached at: phone: 1-800-949-4232 or 713-520-0232 (v/tty); Fax: 713-520-5785; E-mail: swdbtac@ilru.org; Web: www.bcm.tmc.edu/ilru/dbtac/

Opened Discussion with Audience

Panelists opened the floor to questions and discussion from audience members. One individual asked whether the ILRCSF would become more involved with employment issues. "In my personal experience, first you have to get them to the independent living center," said Echegaray. "Many people coming don't have papers. There are no options for people without documentation. The Department of Rehabilitation always encourages them to get higher education and employment."

An audience member commented that one common problem he has observed are back injuries among Latinos who work in the field. Those without an education have no other options, the audience member said. Audience members also shared frustration with the difficulty of looking for a job, or obtaining adequate vocational rehabilitation services for Latinos. One audience member suggested that, in order to make changes, "you have to start with the services that are getting funding" to encourage them to hire the appropriate staff.

Conflicts between IL Philosophy and Latino Culture

Discussion also centered on potential conflicts between the independent living philosophy and Latino cultural values. Independent Living Centers, for example, frequently encourage independence by asking to meet with clients without their families. Latino families, however, become upset at being excluded from appointments with their disabled family members. Participants commented that cultural competence can only be obtained by living in the target community, not by taking classes in a local community college.

Another common challenge raised involved educating Latino parents about the rights of their children with disabilities. One workshop participant indicated that he had met parents who didn't even know their children were receiving special education, or that they had the right to change their Individual Education Plans, until after their children had already graduated.

It was announced that a new grant is supporting 12 Family Empowerment Centers throughout California; these centers provide technical assistance and networking to teach parents about their rights under the law. Some of these centers target Latino families. More information about the grant, and about these centers, is available at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/sed/sb511_awards.htm

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