Cultural and Linguistic Competence

The NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) is committed to embedding cultural and linguistic competency throughout all our work. As part of this commitment, the DDPC established a Cultural Competency Workgroup, developed a Language Access Plan, and is participating in a national 5-year initiative on Cultural and Linguistic Competence*.

Cultural Competence means being able to provide services or resources to a person or a community effectively.  

An agency that is culturally competent can adapt a service or resource to meet a person’s cultural needs.
A person’s culture can include:

Language (American Sign Language, Spanish, Mandarin)

Values and beliefs

Attitudes

Religion

Communication Style

Home or community

Food

Click here to view our agency's Language Access Plan.

*Adapted from the definition of Cultural Competence in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act).

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ContinueCommunity of Practice on Cultural and Linguistic Competence

Community of Practice on Cultural and Linguistic Competence

The Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) is part of a 5-year CoP on Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Developmental Disabilities. The CoP is led by Georgetown’s National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC). It is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The DDPC is the lead agency for New York’s CoP Team.

The mission of the New York CoP is to increase access to information about:

the developmental disabilities network

developmental disabilities services

supports 

individual rights

Focus Communities: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families who speak the Spanish and Chinese languages.

Below are the agencies and organizations that are part of the New York CoP:

Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)

Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) - lead agency

Disability Rights New York (DRNY)

Ibero-American Action League (Ibero)

Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)

Rose F. Kennedy, UCEDD

Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities, UCEDD

Westchester Institute for Human Development, UCEDD

The NY CoP Team conducted a Community Needs Assessment to get input on how to better serve people with developmental disabilities and their families who speak the Spanish and Chinese languages. Read the Full Report to learn more.

New York CoP Team Lead
Jacqueline Hayes
Diversity and Inclusion Program Specialist
New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council

For more information about the CoP initiative visit the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence at: https://nccc.georgetown.edu/cop/index.php

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ContinueDDPC Cultural Competency Workgroup

DDPC Cultural Competency Workgroup

In 2016, the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) created a Cultural Competency Workgroup to help us meet our Diversity and Inclusion goals.

The DDPC Cultural Competency Workgroup provide input in the following areas:

1. DDPC State Plan: There are diversity and inclusion goals within the DDPC State Plan

2. DDPC Grant Initiatives: All DDPC grants and projects need to embed cultural competence

3. Council Membership: Increasing the diversity of DDPC Membership is a priority; and

4. Language Access Plan: Review the DDPC’s Language Access Plan.

For more information contact: [email protected]