About the APIDC

APIDC's goal is to bridge the service and cultural barriers that APIs with disabilities and their families may face. APIDC’s purpose is to act as the technical assistance network to interconnect disabilities organizations with API communities, API individuals with disabilities and their families.

A brand new organization...

"Giving a voice and a face to Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities in California"

We are a small, yet strong grassroots organization of APIs with and without disabilities who believe that disability issues need to be on the same platform as all civil rights issues in the API community and in the general community.

We want to address the cultural stigma APIs with disabilities face. Having a disability within many Asian cultures is seen as a shameful mark against the family. Many API communities believe in “curing” and “healing” the “broken ones”. Many cultures believe in spirits. Being disabled may be seen as a punishment from the spirit or punishing the family for having done something evil.

API families view the disabled person as a helpless individual. The family is ashamed of and feels a heavy responsibility to “take care of” and becomes overprotective of the individual.

The mainstream disability rights community believes the family should help the disabled family member become self-reliant and self-determined – the philosophy that has been promoted for over 30 years. The disability rights movement philosophy is that individuals with disabilities are still human and have the same rights and yearn to have the life that everyone wants to have. One of the sayings that describes the situation for the disabled is “we have many challenges everyday just to live a normal life.” >> more about Independent Living Movement