Скачать или смотреть Understanding Disabilities in Native Communities: Dr. Crystal Hernandez

The National Indian Council on Aging's Desiree Lapahie (Navajo Nation) interviews Dr. Crystal Hernandez about her relationship to the American Indian disability community.

Crystal (Cherokee Nation) has been working in the field of mental health for more than 20 years and is also an advocate for her son who has autism. Hear her experience navigating the services and complexities of the intellectual and developmental disabilities world, and well as the challenges of working with a broken system.

"People think we’re a culture that needs rescuing, and we’re not," says Dr. Crystal Hernandez. "We’re a people who are very resilient, very strong, and we want to be partners in creating systems that are effective and matter. We don’t want to be served; we want to be part of building service structures."

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The National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) has released a toolkit dedicated to increasing awareness and knowledge of the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native persons living with disabilities.

The toolkit — “Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities” — contains information about disabilities, tribes and resources. You will find suggestions for improving services, providing protections, and utilizing resources in local tribal communities for people with disabilities.

This project is dedicated to building bridges between tribes and those in the Aging Network who want to help but are not sure how to begin. NICOA hopes this guide assists tribes and their allies as they work together to make good decisions about our shared future.

Find “Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities” online in NICOA's Technical Assistance and Resource Center at https://www.nicoa.org/programs/techni....