Welcoming Families From Around the World

Barbados


Capital: Bridgetown

Population: 279,254 (since July 2005)

Location: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Become aware of my own cultural background.

Think about it in terms of my family values, beliefs, customs, and culture and how it has influence my attitude and behavior. Understanding my own culture is important because of the tendency to regard my own cultural group as the center of everything and the standard to which all others are compared.

Become convinced that just because someone else’s customs and beliefs are different from mine, that there are no right or wrong cultural beliefs.

All beliefs and customs can be correct in the culture in which it occurs.

Establish personalized contact with individuals and their families.

Most people would like to believe that they are a “name, not a number.” Contacting a person or calling their telephone shows that you care than a letter or a form found in a mailbox.

Learn more about the people that I serve.

Gaining and accessing information from community supports, such as churches and ethnic organizations is a great way to start building and maintaining a cultural network.

Accommodate the needs of individuals and their families.

I will always keep in mind work schedules, transportation needs, religious or cultural holidays and child care arrangements when scheduling meetings, visits, etc to meet the needs of the family.



The culture in which a person lives impacts their attitudes, thoughts, feelings and actions, whether they have a developmental disability or not. Being able to bridge the gap between our own cultural background and the cultural background of the people we serve will: strengthen, support, and facilitate our role in assisting people as they plan their preferred future. There are many benefits in being culturally responsive. Among the benefits is the ability to:

Foster more understanding of the person and how the person operates, feels, and the ways in which they live their life, let people know they are thought of as individuals, as human beings,

Effectively communicate culturally sensitive choices and their consequences and be aware of many possibilities and respond appropriately.

The sum of these positive benefits is the ability to be responsive to the needs of individuals and their families as they make choices and plans, which often are based on a framework influenced by their cultural background.