Disability as Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence [Paperback]

Disability as Diversity: Developing Cultural Competenceis the first book to comprehensively address disability as diversity and provide a guide for developing cultural competence. The text goes beyond disability models, and opens a discourse on concepts such as disability identity development and culture, and culturally appropriate language, assessment, and intervention. Readers will gain an appreciation of the role of cultural competence on health disparities, health promotion, and disease prevention for disability across the lifespan. This volume is designed to equip professionals with heightened awareness, knowledge, and skills to enhance the provision of culturally competent care to disabled people.Disability as Diversity: Developing Cultural Competencereveals why disability is a cultural experience, rather than merely a medical status. Conceptual models of disability have evolved into a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon that disability service providers must understand to fully appreciate the intricacy of the lives of the people they serve. In this volume, Andrews sets the stage with the must-know history of disability rights and the social and cultural evolution of disabled people in the United States. She presents important concepts about attitudes toward disability and the impact of ableism. Andrews illustrates that not only are negative attitudes harmful, but that overly positive stereotypes can have an equally detrimental effect on disabled people. The reader will learn about disability microaggressions and how attempts to improve disability awareness can be misguided. Andrews argues that there is a distinct disability culture, and introduces the reader to its characteristics and features. She explores the concept of disability identity development, and how some people with disabilities identify readily as disabled and embrace the disability community, while others do not view themselves as disabled even though they meet commonly acceptels*