Disability Related Beliefs and Services in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands

Special education and disability-related topics in the U.S. are often viewed through the lens of the White middle-class mainstream. When multicultural perspectives of disability are considered, they are usually those of Black and Latino Americans (Hasnain et al., 2020). Given their divergent demographic structures from the U.S. mainland, however, disability research and practices originating from there may not always be applicable to the cultural context of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions. Their geographic distance from the U.S. mainland may further complicate the nature of access to services on the islands. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of literature on the attitudes towards disabilities on the islands and the services available there. This literature review seeks to explore what is currently known about attitudes towards disabilities and services on the islands, with implications for improving services and suggestions for future research.