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New Video Series Explores Culture and Disability
The Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) has released Cultural Perspectives on Living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a documentary-style short video series developed as part of the OPWDD-NCCC Partnership for Systems Change. The partnership brought together NCCC and the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.
The series uses storytelling to increase awareness and understanding of how culture and language influence the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their families, and the systems that provide supports and services.
Culture, as presented in the series, is not limited to race and ethnicity. It also encompasses beliefs and practices related to disability, definitions of family, faith, preferred languages and modes of communication, community membership, place of residence, and socioeconomic status.
The series explores six themes:
- Advocacy
- Assistive technology
- Community engagement
- Fathers and father figures
- Meaningful employment
- Mental health and IDD
Each theme includes a topic video featuring people with lived experience, family members, and thought leaders, along with two documentary-style personal stories shared by New Yorkers with IDD or their families. Web-based topic guides provide definitions, cultural considerations, reflection questions, and references.
The series was created for people with IDD, families, advocates, service providers, educators, policymakers, legislators, employers, and other audiences. It is available in English, American Sign Language, and 12 additional languages and includes captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions.
Explore the Cultural Perspectives on Living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities video series.
