1. Easter Seals UCP
North Carolina & Virginia
Cultural Competence

2. Our Mission
Easter Seals UCP creates opportunities,
promotes individual choice and changes the
lives of children and adults with disabilities by
maximizing their individual potential for living,
learning and working in their communities.
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Our focus must be on the potential/ the possibilities of
each individual regardless of racial, ethnic, age, gender
orientation, special needs, linguistic, or religious
diversity.

3. Defining Cultural Competence
Embrace Differences…Find Similarities
• The ESUCP person-centered philosophy acknowledges the
importance of developing an awareness and understanding of the
cultural differences found among those we support and among our
co-workers.
• Cultural competence encourages staff to be curious and eager to
learn and enhance their cultural knowledge, as we stay open-
minded, support personal outcomes, and build responsive services
for everyone to whom we provide support.
• Cultural differences add to the richness of a diverse environment
within which staff, individuals and families partner for success.

4. Staff Responsibilities
What is Expected of Each of Us
 First and foremost… be open to the cultural experiences, traditions,
and values of those with whom we work and with those to whom we
provide support.
 Participate in individual and group supervision discussions
regarding cultural diversity with an open mind and positive attitude.
 Demonstrate cultural curiosity when supporting an individual or
family by expressing interest in the traditions, beliefs, experiences
and heritage of that person or family.
 Acknowledge that the personal outcomes identified by the individual
or family as most important will be based to some extent on a
cultural perspective.

5. Community-Based Services & Supports
Integrating Cultural Competence
• Language Assistance Services:
ESUCP actively seeks bilingual and bicultural staff, including
those who can effectively use American Sign Language and those
who speak languages commonly found in a particular geographic
area.
ESUCP staff advocate on behalf of individuals in need of
assistive technology to enable communication and full participation
in the community. TTY/relay, email, and text messaging are among
the most common and readily available communication options.
ESUCP programs develop and maintain current information on
local and regional language assistance services.

6. Community-Based Services & Supports
Integrating Cultural Competence
• Community Living Barriers:
ESUCP utilizes the Personal Outcomes process to identify
themes and patterns of community-based obstacles that may
interfere with an individual’s or family’s full participation in
community services. Barriers may be more challenging when
cultural issues are present.
ESUCP staff must be sensitive to cultural implications when
discussing community services and opportunities with an individual
or family.
The focus of Personal Outcomes on health, safety, and well-
being addresses very personal issues and ones which are
significantly impacted by culture.

7. Community-Based Services & Supports
Integrating Cultural Competence
• Community Networking:
ESUCP sponsors community events called LOCALS—
Listening to Our Community And Leveraging Strengths.
Each LOCALS is an opportunity to gather an array of data
about the community specific to Education, Employment,
Healthcare, Housing, Recreation & Leisure, and Transportation.
This fact-finding activity culminates in one or more community
event involving ESUCP staff, community leaders (service providers,
business leaders, government representatives, volunteers), and
individuals/families accessing our services.
Working together strategies are developed to problem-solve
one or more community problems identified by the participants.

8. Organizational Oversight
Our Cultural Competence Planning & Implementation
The Quality Management Committee, a cross-departmental
committee which meets quarterly, will provide oversight and
management of our Cultural Competence Plan.
The Committee will~
 Develop and maintain a cultural competence outcomes guide as a
resource to program and support services staff
 Evaluate the values and policies of ESUCP to ensure a system of
cultural and linguistic sensitivity and competence.
 Monitor services and supports to guarantee a commitment to the
uniqueness of each person and our respect for those differences.
 Ensure that each program exemplifies a community resource which
provides services based on individual needs and diagnoses
including an awareness of and respect for the cultural preferences
of each individual and family.

9. Organizational Oversight
Our Cultural Competence Planning & Implementation
The Quality Management Committee shares with ESUCP programs
responsibility for maintaining a culturally sensitive environment.
Committee members~
 Develop procedures to provide continual information to update staff
on identified community resources which reflect cultural awareness
and sensitivity
 Identify opportunities to enhance staff skills in working with diverse
cultural populations
 Develop mechanisms to collect and use data to address disparities
within agency services as they relate to meeting cultural
preferences
 Seek methods to improve organizational cultural competence by
examining human resources, agency policies, and organizational
practices which inhibit delivery of culturally responsive services

10. Cultural Competence…
Begins with Awareness
Grows with Knowledge
Enhances with Skills
Becomes polished through Interaction with others