Posters (Asynchronous Session)
Diversity Though Post-secondary University Inclusion for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities View Digital Media
Poster Session Ashley Rodrigues
All students with disabilities frequently face social segregation, limited educational expectations, and restricted occupational prospects. Of the students with disabilities, minority students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have the fewest post-school educational prospects. Lately in special education there is an appeal for the advancement and growth of higher education opportunities for minority students with IDD. This is due to many factors including that despite that the proportion of young adults who are racial minorities is growing rapidly, they still have limited access to quality education and the dropout rate of minority students with disabilities tends to be higher than that of other categories of students with and without disabilities. In response, school systems and higher education institutions have started partnering to offer transition services through enrollment to individuals ages 18 through 21 with IDD. This research offers an overview of the models of inclusion for minority students 18-22 years old with IDD currently in place at one public university. Qualitative and quantitative research suggests that services and supports through credited and non-credited courses to individuals with IDD permits growth of these individuals’ self-determination, independence, access to further education, jobs, and community involvement. Additionally, an exploration of the implications and approaches for creation and implementation of college programs for minority students with IDD will be put forward. The practical implications of the results for inclusion audiences dedicated to the values of social justice and community development are far-reaching as there are many stakeholders included in implementing inclusive post-secondary programs.
Is a Sense of Identity and Belonging Adequately Nurtured in Routine Care for People with Dementia from Diverse Backgrounds?: A Case Study of Refugees Experiencing Mental Health Challenges View Digital Media
Poster Session Karen Thode
This poster describes a clinical evaluation process for dementia behavior consultants and aged care coordinators to utilize when evaluating the effectiveness of care planned for people with dementia from culturally diverse and/or refugee backgrounds who are unable to communicate their needs for assistance to maintain their sense of identity and belonging. Within multicultural communities’ diversity and inclusion goals can be aided by clinical practice guidelines to minimize ethnocentrism and enhance and evaluate care planned on behalf of those people with dementia experiencing mental illness unable to participate in a care partnership. This poster focusses on the case study’s care plan of a resident(? of refugee background which was evaluated using a model for ensuring cultural responsiveness in conjunction with Dementia Australia’s CAUSED problem-solving model for BPSD. The audit process identified that this refugees’ psychological needs to maintain a healthy sense of identity and belonging could have been further enhanced with referrals to a culturally appropriate community visitors’ scheme and assistance to contact family in his country of origin. Conclusions: The models used were effective audit tools that aided identification of oversights or omissions in culturally responsive care planned for this refugee with dementia who had a complicated psychological history and was unable to communicate his needs. This process has implications for achieving best practice dementia care in diverse communities.
Cultural Competence vs Cultural Humility: A Framework Capable of Promoting Culturally Responsive Practices in South Africa View Digital Media
Poster Session Zelma Mokobane
The changing demographics in South Africa require a change in pedagogy due to the diverse nature of educational institutions. This study addressed the effectiveness of cultural competence against cultural humility in promoting culturally responsive educational settings. Cultural competence emerged in the 1980s in America. Cultural humility involves an ongoing process of self-exploration, with a willingness to learn from others. It means entering a relationship with another person with the intention of honouring their beliefs, customs, and values. The research draws on a qualitative case study conducted in two multicultural schools. Participants were 2 principals, 42 teachers and 68 learners. The sample represented all races, including gender and age appropriateness. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observations. The study was guided by the Critical Consciousness Theory of Paulo Freire. Critical consciousness posits that the thinking subject does not exist in isolation but, rather, in relationship to others in the world. Findings indicated that there is a paradigm shift from cultural competence to cultural humility. Principles such as critical self-reflection, respect for difference, reducing power differentials, building partnerships, and learning from learners which emerged during data analysis formed the basis of anti-oppressive practice in education. In contrast, the concept of cultural humility takes into account the fluidity of culture and challenges both individuals and institutions to address inequalities. A longitudinal study, involving more participants is recommended.
Using the Foundational Ethical Principles of the Model for Collaborative Evaluations to Evaluate Efforts to Increase Female Participation and Retention in a Healthcare-related Industrial Engineering Program: Promoting an Ethical Approach
Poster Session Michael Mitchell, Liliana Rodriguez-Campos
The field of engineering is a male-dominated profession. There is also a great need to increase the efficiencies of the healthcare system, particularly in light of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A program was developed at a southern USA university to increase the interest of female engineers to consider entering the healthcare field and to help them stay motivated so they would finish their engineering degrees. This grant-funded effort was evaluated using the Model for Collaborative Evaluations (MCE). The MCE framework has six components that help ensure an ethical, efficient, and effective evaluation is conducted. At the foundation of the MCE components is the "Follow Specific Guidelines" component that patterns the evaluation team's approach as they determine the program's merit and worth. Both the program and the evaluation approach using MCE proved to be valuable. There was an increase in the interest of female engineering students' interest in the healthcare field as well as an increased motivation to complete their engineering degrees. The MCE was shown to be robust as its ethical approach provided the clients with confidence even when there was a change in personnel in the evaluation team. The evaluation was successfully completed on time and on budget.
