The United States and Mexico: Creating Partnerships in Rehabilitation

Objective: To document the needs and resources of indigenous people with disabilities. Study Design: An analysis of 5 descriptive studies. Setting: Oaxaca City and various rural and remote areas of Oaxaca, Mexico. Research Participants: Individuals with disabilities and their families, both urban and rural, representing a wide age span. Main Outcome Measures: Interview protocols developed through participatory research procedures involving persons with disabilities. Results: Across populations, the need for centers of education, training, and support was identified; however, medical intervention was the primary need. Conclusions: The Vecinos project demonstrates the successes of cooperative research efforts between university-based researchers and grassroots leaders with disabilities, with implications for change in public policy and practice to accommodate indigenous people with disabilities.