Reaching the Hard to Reach: A Review of an Initiative Aimed at Increasing Participation and Supports for People of Color with Disabilities and Their Families in Disability Organizations

Abstract

Individuals of color with disabilities and/or their family members need access to services and supports that will assist them with daily life and a way to advocate for these services. Disability organizations, whose core mission is advocacy, have had difficulty attracting and maintaining persons of color with disabilities or their family members to their membership and, consequently, to the services or supports they offer. Connections and stronger outreach is needed in communities of color by disability and civil rights organizations to enhance the quality of life and services and supports received by people of color with disabilities. In this article, an innovative initiative designed to help people of color with disabilities and/or their family members to develop advocacy skills and to obtain membership in disability organizations while building capacity of the disability and/or civil rights organization involved is discussed, followed by implications and suggestions for future engagement and research.

Correlates related to follow‐up in a community engagement program in North Central Florida

“…Researchers must understand the characteristics of their study population as different study populations may require different tracking methods and follow‐up for optimal follow‐up completion. For example, to ensure high study retention in populations perceived to be difficult‐to‐recruit (e.g., the homeless, disabled; Lamar‐Dukes, 2009), and other vulnerable populations, a detailed strategy and significant persistence on the part of the study staff is required (Cottler, Compton, Ben‐Abdallah, Horne, & Claverie, 1996). A study participant with a disability may prefer a telephone‐based follow‐up survey from the comfort of her home to a face‐to‐face follow‐up at the research facility; whereas for older adults, face‐to‐face interviews and interactions are more effective (Adams, Silverman, Musa, & Peele, 1997).…”