12/01/2009Iman Hassan

Latinos & Disability

Key Words:

Latinos, disability, health, employment, Mexican-American, attitudes, religion, organizations

Description:

This issue brief discusses disability rates among Latinos, barriers faced by disabled Latinos, Latino attitudes and cultural beliefs about disability, and community organizations working on behalf of the Latino with disabilities population.

Key Points:

  • Rates of disability in the Latino population are higher than in the non-Hispanic white population, especially among working-age and older people.
  • Latinos have decreased access to quality health care and health insurance coverage.
  • Latinos with disabilities are less likely to be employed than non-Hispanic whites with disabilities and those that do work are more likely to earn less money. Latinos face greater barriers in seeking government assistance.
  • Mexicans and Mexican-Americans believe that people with disabilities should be treated kindly, but are less likely to have a successful future. Both groups do not view disability as a punishment from God, and traditional healers are not the first source of treatment.
  • A number of national and state organizations are dedicated to serving and advocating on behalf of Latinos with disabilities.

Issue Brief:

According to data gathered by the 2000 Census, 20.9 percent of the civilian, non-institutionalized Latino population aged 5 and older has a self-reported disability. The overall disability rate for Latinos is higher than for non-Hispanic whites, for which the disability rate is 18.3 percent. While the child disability rate for Latinos is lower than for non-Hispanic whites, disability rates for working-age and older Hispanics exceed those for non-Hispanic whites by more than five percentage points.[1]

Source: U.S. Census Brief “Disability Status: 2000”

Higher disability rates among Latinos may be associated with decreased access to quality health care or decreased health insurance coverage. A 2004 study reported that 33 percent of Latinos do not have insurance, higher than other minority group.3 Among Latinos, 37.6 percent of Mexicans, 20.4 percent of Puerto Ricans, 22.8 percent of Cubans and 32.3 percent of other Latino groups do not have health insurance.[2] Chronically ill uninsured persons have more health crisis, are more likely to delay or fail to obtain care, and are frequently under-medicated. Half of all uninsured report temporary disability and 15 to 20 percent report long-term disability.[3] Older Latinos, irrespective of insurance coverage, using physician visits and hospitalizations were associated with greater daily living and mobility disability than non-Latino whites.[4]

According to a recent report by the World Institute on Disability, disabled Latinos tend to earn less income, receive less education, have poorer health, hold fewer jobs and have less access to service networks than their disabled or ethnic peers. Latinos with disabilities fall into the “multiple jeopardy status,” disadvantaged in both the categories of race and ability. Latinos are disproportionately likely to become disabled through violence or occupational injury. Disability status reduces workforce participation, especially among people of color, and to a greater extent among those who are immigrants or have limited English proficiency. Latino men with poor health are 65 percent less likely to be employed than their non-disabled counterparts. Disabled Latino men who are employed earn less money than white men with disabilities. Latino men with disabilities are more likely to seek work out of economic necessity. Latinos with disabilities face cultural and linguistic barriers to seeking government assistance such as vocational rehabilitation services. Cultural beliefs that place the responsibility for the care of a disabled child or adult with the family, combined with a tendency to distrust government, may make Latinos less likely to seek outside assistance. In addition, low education rates and inability to speak English prevent some Latinos from making use of services. Other Latinos fear seeking out government services will affect their immigration status.[5]

Studies in 2007 by researchers at The University of Texas – Pan American tracked Mexican and Mexican American attitudes towards disability. The majority, 64 percent, of Hispanics in the US are of Mexican descent. The results showed that both groups had a propensity to feel pity for persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are generally seen as more isolated and were reported to be discriminated against more frequently than not. There was a general belief among respondents that people with disabilities need care from others and that spending time with a person with disability was not seen as something negative. Mexicans and Mexican Americans did not believe having a family member with a disability was embarrassing. Most participants believed that persons with disabilities should automatically be treated kindly and that more often than not, those with disabilities should be excused for bad behavior or hurting others, although Mexican American were less likely to believe this than Mexicans. At the same time, Mexicans and Mexican American participants believed those with disabilities were less likely to succeed and attain “a real future.” Mexican Americans were more likely than Mexicans to believe that others are uncomfortable around people with disabilities, that people with disabilities are more hidden than from others and that people avoid interacting with the disabled.[6]

Cultural beliefs are thought to be integral to Latino views on disability. There is strong emphasis on family among some Latino groups, along with beliefs in fatalism and spiritual practices, and the use of traditional healers called curanderas.2 Studies have shown that folk healers are almost never the first source of medical treatment and that traditional healers are seen for personal problems in addition to physical ailments. The majority of Hispanics identify as Roman Catholic, but some incorporate indigenous spiritual beliefs, and religion is generally seen as a strong coping mechanism. A 2007 study by the University of Texas measured Mexican and Mexican American religious beliefs associated with disability. Participants did not often view disability as a moral test or a response to sin, negative behaviors or the evil eye. Disability was not considered a putative action by God. God was frequently believed to reward caring for the disabled and that prayer could have curative properties. There were no significant differences between Mexicans and Mexican Americans when it came to religious views about disability.[7]

A number of organizations in the US are dedicated to assisting Latinos with disabilities. Proyecto Vision is a national technical assistance center for disabled Latinos, with a hotline, website, and annual conference providing access to bilingual job specialists and job resources. The organization also offers trainings to service providers in cultural competency and disability awareness. The Westside Center for Independent Living (WCIL) of California runs the Latino Employment Connection and Viva Employment Los Angeles, offering vocational rehabilitation to Latinos with disabilities. The Committee for the Integration of Latinos with Disabilities (CILD) advocates on behalf of disabled Latinos. Based out of the University of Texas-Pan American, Proyecto Mejorando (Project Enhance) seeks to increase retention, recruitment and graduation rates of students with disabilities.[8] Other organizations include the National Center for Latinos with Disabilities (NCLD) based in Illinois and Fiesta Educativa, a California organization dedicated to helping Latino families caring for children with special needs.

Works Cited:

Becker, Gay. “Deadly Inequality in the Health Care “Safety Net”: Uninsured Ethnic

Minorities’ Struggle to Live with Life-Threatening Illness.” Medical

Anthropology Quarterly. Vol. 18, Issue 2, pp. 258-275, c2004

Bowen, Mary Elizabeth and Gonzalez, Hector M. “Racial/Ethnic Differences in the

Relationship Between the Use of Health Care Services and Functional Disability:

The Health and Retirement Study (1992-2004). The Gerontologist. Washington:

Oct 2008, Vol. 48, Iss. 5, pg. 695, 9 pages.

Glover, Noreen M and Blankenship, Charlene J. “Mexican and Mexican American’s

Beliefs About God in Relation to Disability” Journal of Rehabilitation. Volume

73, No 4. Pp. 41-50. c2007

Graf, Noreen M; Blankenship, Charlene J; Sanchez, Gabriel; and Carlson Ralph. “Living

on the Line: Mexican and Mexican American Attitudes towards Disability”

Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin. Volume 50, No. 3, pp. 153-165 (Spring 2007)

“Latinos with Disabilities in the United States: Understanding & Addressing Barriers to

Employment.” World Institute on Disability.

Snyder, Lisa Lopez. “Insights for Creating Culturally Competent Health Care Programs

in Latino Community” Latinos in the Workplace. Vol. 16, No. 1, Winter 2008.

U.S. Census 2000 Brief “Disability Status: 2000,” Issued March 2003.

Websites:

Proyecto Vision:

National Center for Latinos with Disabilities:

Committee for the Integration of Latinos with Disabilities:

National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

Fiesta Educativa:

[1] U.S. Census 2000 Brief “Disability Status: 2000,” Issued March 2003.

[2] Snyder, Lisa Lopez. “Insights for Creating Culturally Competent

Health Care Programs in Latino Community” Latinos in the Workplace.

Vol. 16, No. 1, Winter 2008.

[3] Becker, Gay. “Deadly Inequality in the Health Care “Safety Net”:

Uninsured Ethnic Minorities’ Struggle to Live with Life-Threatening Illness.”

Medical Anthropology Quarterly. Vol. 18, Issue 2, pp. 258-275, c2004

[4] Bowen, Mary Elizabeth and Gonzalez, Hector M. “Racial/Ethnic Differences

in the Relationship Between the Use of Health Care Services and Functional Disability: The Health and Retirement Study (1992-2004). The Gerontologist. Washington: Oct 2008, Vol. 48, Iss. 5, pg. 695, 9 pages.

[5] “Latinos with Disabilities in the United States: Understanding & Addressing Barriers to Employment” World Institute on Disability.

[6] Graf, Noreen M; Blankenship, Charlene J; Sanchez, Gabriel; and Carlson Ralph. “Living on the Line: Mexican and Mexican American Attitudes towards Disability” Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin. Volume 50, No. 3, pp. 153-165 (Spring 2007)

[7] Glover, Noreen M and Blankenship, Charlene J. “Mexican and Mexican American’s Beliefs About God in Relation to Disability” Journal of Rehabilitation. Volume 73, No 4. Pp. 41-50. c2007

[8] “Latinos with Disabilities in the United States: Understanding & Addressing Barriers to Employment” World Institute on Disability.