1. When working in healthcare with someone from a CALD culture who has a disability, it would be helpful to know something about his or her religion.
2. Muslims regard disability as shameful and believe that it must be a punishment from God.
3. Religion doesn't impact much on disability. People can pray anywhere, and if they can't meet requirements, most religions will exempt them because of their disability.
4. Attitude to disability is determined by how traditional a person is, in their cultural values.
5. Most Muslims believe that having a disability is shameful. This is an Islamic teaching.
6. Most Muslims come from countries where healthcare is scarce and significantly different from the Western healthcare offered in New Zealand. Many will follow traditional practices.
7. In the Horn of Africa countries, intellectual and cognitive impairments are considered to be more shameful than physical impairments because there is a belief that they are caused by curses.
8. Many people from the Horn of Africa countries are reticent to access healthcare in New Zealand because of lack of acceptance of western medicine and health services.
9. Indians are the only culture that believes in karma as a cause of disability.
10. A cultural case worker or cultural support worker can be engaged to link families to community resources, or to assist practitioners and families in clarifying cultural misunderstandings in health consultations. They can also be used instead of interpreters.
11. Principles from the doctrines of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are embedded in Chinese culture.
12. Since respect for elders and filial piety is so important in East Asian cultures, it is critical for healthcare practitioners to establish a working relationship with parents or significant extended family members (if available), as their involvement will be vital to the success of the treatment or support process.
13. 'Saving face' is a cultural concept that refers to the need to preserve the dignity and reputation of a person in the face of an embarrassing or disruptive event. It applies exclusively to Chinese culture.
14. There is a high value placed on education in Hong Kong for its potential to bring wealth and status to families; intellectual disability is usually seen to bring shame to the whole family.
15. People who are in the process of acculturation may adopt New Zealand values around disability, but maintain some of their traditional beliefs and practices as well. Some of these practices may conflict with compliance with treatment plans.
