Conducting the first community health assessment of Asian Americans with developmental disabilities in Georgia

According to the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau, Asian Americans (AAs) are currently the fastest growing population and Georgia is one of the top five states with the most growth. Despite the rapid growth of AAs throughout the United States, there is a lack of health data about Asian Americans. To address this gap, the Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS) developed the Georgia Asian Pacific Islander Community Coalition (GAAPICC), a coalition of community-based organizations and community members who sought to improve data collection and dissemination on AA health in Georgia. One of their key initiatives included conducting the first community assessment of AAs with developmental disabilities and their families in Georgia. CPACS and GAAPIC collaborated with the Georgia Governor’s Council of Developmental Disabilities to conduct five focus groups with participants from Far East Asian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian communities. The study revealed the detrimental impact of cultural dissonance and the model minority myth on caregivers and service providers of AAs with developmental disabilities. GAAPICC coalition members developed a white paper to publish and disseminate the findings with the goal of raising awareness of community challenges. Target audiences included community members, researchers, funders, teachers, service providers, government agencies, and policy makers. CPACS and GAAPICC successfully raised awareness, shared policy recommendations, and secured funding to develop local programs addressing issues affecting AAs with developmental disabilities. This initiative demonstrated the importance of engaging community members to address gaps in data, as well as building partnerships with other key stakeholders such as government agencies. In addition to applying these lessons learned, it is recommended that all stakeholders be involved throughout the research process, especially when disseminating findings in order to reach diverse audiences.