A descriptive study in American Samoa: services for people with disabilities.

Abstract: State agency service providers of persons with disabilities were surveyed and interviewed in American Samoa to describe and understand the level of services offered within the federal mandates and cultural context. Responses to the survey indicated that a majority of consumers do not request services or complete the application forms themselves. The interviews revealed an important aspect that was overlooked from the initial stages of the study: Many service providers did not have a conceptual understanding of self-determination as defined within a western context. We believe this cultural and contextual difference influenced how they responded to particular questions and perhaps how they engaged in providing services. This preliminary study opens the door for follow up investigations to determine the interplay of culture and federal regidations coinciding within a Pacific Island population.Key Words: People with Disabilities, American Samoa, Services for People with DisabilitiesThe American Samoa University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research and Service (AS-UCEDD) in partnership with the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies initiated a descriptive study to better understand how American Samoan state agencies deliver services. Additionally, agency staff perceptions of client independence related to the cultural concept of disability served as an underlying interest. Coupled with geographic complexities, the cultural context of American Samoa as it relates to disability offers an intricate layer by which to evaluate services. How the Samoan community responds to disability in the wake of traditional beliefs and practices is a sparsely charted arena. An understanding of cultural and environmental effects on service delivery for individuals with disabilities is critical yet remains insufficiently documented.ObjectivesOne of the objectives of the AS-UCEDD is to conduct research to improve the quality of life and self-determination of persons with disabilities to live inclusive lives in their communities (Pacific Basin UCEDD Application, CFDA 93.632, 2006). Related to this objective is the provision of technical assistance and support from the Hawaii UCEDD to American Samoa staff in conducting research. To this end, research activities in this report served multiplea oses: 1) Gain an understanding of services provided e state agencies. While there are multiple agencies that provide services for people with disabilities, it was unclear how these respective agencies collect complete, accurate and unduplicated data as well as serve consumers. As an unincorporated territory of the United States, the majority of these agencies receive federal funding and those that do are subject to the same rules and regulations of other state agencies across the United States 2) Provide local UCEDD staff opportunity to conduct research 3) Better understand how culture and context influence perception and execution of services 4) Set the groundwork for a future self-determination study as a realistic or appropriate concept for this particular setting and other collectivist cultures.This paper addresses purpose number one, to share findings of a descriptive study designed to gather basic information on services provided for people with disabilities residing in American Samoa. Aside from federal reports, very little information about these agencies exists. More specifically, the limitations of requested services within a rural island population generate interest about issues of compliance and rumored violations. We were interested in obtaining a baseline understanding of how these agencies provide services to people with disabilities within the socio-contextual climate of American Samoa.In fulfilling the grant objectives of the American Samoa UCEDD to conduct research, we first needed to ensure that our investigation asked relevant questions and provided meaningful insights for consumers, service providers, and funders. …