Disability Related Beliefs and Services in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands

Joseph C. Abueg

doi:10.18733/cpi29774

Authors

Joseph C. Abueg University of Nevada, Las Vegas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18733/cpi29774

Keywords:

U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions, disabiity research, special education, services for disabilities, culturally responsive resources, assistive technology

Abstract

Special education and disability-related topics in the U.S. are often viewed through the lens of the White middle-class mainstream. When multicultural perspectives of disability are considered, they are usually those of Black and Latino Americans (Hasnain et al., 2020). Given their divergent demographic structures from the U.S. mainland, however, disability research and practices originating from there may not always be applicable to the cultural context of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions. Their geographic distance from the U.S. mainland may further complicate the nature of access to services on the islands. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of literature on the attitudes towards disabilities on the islands and the services available there. This literature review seeks to explore what is currently known about attitudes towards disabilities and services on the islands, with implications for improving services and suggestions for future research.

Author Biography

Joseph C. Abueg, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Joseph C. Abueg (he/him), a doctoral student in the Special Education Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was scheduled to graduate in August 2024. At the time of writing, he was finishing his dissertation on the experiences of special education teachers recruited from the Philippines who work in U.S. public schools. As a Northern California-born and raised son of immigrants from the Philippines and the older brother of a young man with multiple disabilities, his family background greatly informs his work. Accordingly, his research interests lie at the intersection of disability and cultural diversity, especially as far as people with disabilities and their families of Asian and Pacific Island descent in the U.S., its territories, and Canada are concerned. In addition to the article submitted to this journal, he has co-written about the inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in cultural discussions and reading interventions for multilingual learners with disabilities.

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