What do I need to know about my student's culture, values, and attitudes to ensure that an appropriate classroom environment is established for my student who has a disability?
It is critical for all teachers to have cultural competency as it relates to students who have disabilities. It is helpful for classroom teachers to understand a student's disability within the student's cultural context and understand the issues of overrepresentation of students from diverse cultures in various disability areas.
Factual Information
According to the National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University, the definition and conceptual framework for cultural competence requires that organizations:
- have a defined set of values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies and structures that enable them to work effectively cross-culturally.
- have the capacity to (1) value diversity, (2) conduct self-assessment, (3) manage the dynamics of difference, (4) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge and (5) adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of the communities they serve.
- incorporate the above in all aspects of policy making, administration, practice, service delivery and involve systematically consumers, key stakeholders and communities.
The Center also suggests that cultural competence requires individual providers at a minimum to:
- Acknowledge cultural differences
- Understand your own culture
- Engage in self-assessment
- Acquire cultural knowledge & skills
- View behavior within a cultural context
You can increase your awareness and sensitivity to the importance of cultural diversity and cultural competence by engaging in practices that promote a competent classroom for students who have disabilities.
Classroom Activities
Download and complete the Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency Self-Assessment Checklist from the Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development's Center for Cultural Competence.
Collaboration
No collaborative activities are available at this time.
Resources and Links
- National Center for Cultural Competence's mission is to increase the capacity of health and mental health programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems.
- The National Disability Rights Network has information on Cultural Competence.
- The Child Welfare Information Gateway website contains information about cultural competence in working with children and families for child welfare workers and others who work with children.
- The website of San Diego State University hosts a PowerPoint presentation by Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D on Understanding Multiculturalism: Cultures and Values and Information on cultural competence.
- The Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice website contains a page with information on "How is Cultural Competence Integrated in Education?" The goal of this section is to provide a brief conceptual background for cultural competence, and to illustrate the elements of cultural competence in programs serving children with or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance. The information is based on the work from six OSEP funded projects.