The Facts : The National Family was born out of frustration with the persistent and pervasive disenfranchisement of minority individuals with disabilities and their families. Despite the significant gains made by some groups within the disability rights movement, we can no longer ignore:

• the over representation of minority group youth in the most restricted special education programs, leading them to nowhere
  
  
• the lack of sustained and meaningful vocational rehabilitation services and entrepreneurial opportunities which continue to perpetuate poverty and hopelessness
  
  
• the absence of advocacy training and support for minority parents and self advocates whose under-trapped talents could enriched all communities
  
  
• lack of cultural competence among service providers and policy makers, leading to their disrespect for beliefs other than their own
  
  
• the absence of significant numbers of minority persons people with disabilities among senior professionals and policy-makers
  
  
• little or no meaningful outreach from federally-subsidized mainstream disability rights organization and parents groups, despite the clarity in disability advocacy law ,
  
  
• the erroneous perception that cultural diversity is a fad in our nation and that the mainstream disability advocacy community is immune from having to be accountable