Barriers that have prevented the progress of Asian disabled people and other disadvantaged Asian groups.
Historically, British Asians have been unable to take part in the decision-making progress in statutory services. This is because they have been unable to gain entry to management levels, due to barriers listed below. British Asians have been unable to take part in the political process. Although Asians account for almost 4% of the British population, they account for less than 1% of the number of MPs in the House of Commons. The result is that decisions affecting Asian people have been made without taking Asian experiencies into account.

Cultural factors
-Language
First and second generation Asians, due to poor education, have suffered from not being able to give or receive information when dealing with statutory agencies. As a result Asians have not been able to benefit from statutory provisions. Many Asians because of the communication barrier have been totally unaware of facilities to which they may be entitled. Being unable to communicate with carers and others, Asians have been unable to inform carers of problems they may have and this results in misunderstandings, and mistrust. The breakdown in communication is also reponsible for the fact that Asians have had very poor health information and health education, compared to their white counterparts.

-Values and Customs
Statutory agencies have failed to grasp the nature and significance of differing cultural values such as dietary requirments, and conduct when working with female members of families. Again this has caused misunderstanding, and impedes the passage of information and the quality of service provided. This has been evident in respite care, when Asian families have not trusted the statutory agencies to take care of female family members. A classic example of carers needing education on Asian religious needs is in the respect of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast. By understanding that Muslims don't accept food or drink during this time, and that staff may not offer food or drink a better understanding can be achieved.

-Economics
Asians, are more likely to have a lower income, live in poorer housing conditions, face overcrowding, and generally experience a poorer lifestyle compared to the national averages. Asians aged 16 - 25 also face 30% unemployment, which is often long term, and results in long-term poverty and social isolation. An unhealthy lifestyle, due to this long term poverty, has hit Asian disabled people the hardest, because those families are already on a very low income, facing high and growing care costs, and lack of availability of a service which understands their needs. Due to the language barrier, many Asians living in homes that need repair, are unaware of grants and welfare benefits available. This has a negative affect on occupants, whose health may be affected, especially during the winter months. Behavioural problems of people with learning difficulties may also increase, causing more stress for the family. Without the help they are entitled to, from social workers, grants, and direct care, the future of many families living like this looks bleak.

Allocation of resources
A classic example of how resource allocation and lack of investment in has hindered the progress of children with special needs, can be seen in children receiving special education. At a time when the awareness of the special educational needs of children is growing, the amount of money available, through central or local government is not meeting the growing need. In a world which is fast changing in terms of technology used in the home, in the job market, and in leisure activities, special schools are finding it difficult to match the changes in the world in terms of the facilities they provide.

Effects On Asian Children With Special Needs
Because the majority of Asian households have a low standard of living, access to educational tools in the home is low. Therefore the only access to educational tools, for many children, may be in schools including special schools. In Manchester the educational equipment is old, often not in working condition, not meeting the needs of the modern world, and far too scarce to serve all the children with special educational needs. The result for Asian children is that those in special schools do not get the education, stimulation and enjoyment they rightly deserve. Children attending special schools lack interaction with the outside world, and mainstream education. Some schools are allowed to put up barriers to entrance for children with special needs. This is partly due to the pressure on schools to do well in League Tables, and partly due to economic factors. This lowers the choice to parents, and often reduces the opportunities for children with disabilities to be integrated. The result for Asian children is that they face further isolation from society, starting at an early age, a time most important for development in communication, self esteem and learning. Pupils in the special schools, day in, day out, see the same people, interact with the same equipment, and this can cause stagnation in the learning experience. Overall, the schools are not being as effective as they should be.

Racial Discrimination
Asian people in Britain experience racism and discrimination every day. Disabled people also experience discriminatory attitudes and behaviour in the attitudes of the able-bodied people around them. These groups of people are as a result seriously disadvantaged in every walk of life. But these two groups are not completely separate: they overlap, and Asian people with disabilities are faced with a double burden of discrimination and disadvantage. Very little information has been available about the effects which this has on the employment prospects of Asian disabled people, and few efforts have been made to improve matters.
FAST will therefore play a vital role in improving the poor quality of life that exists for many disabled Asian people. The barriers referred to above can be removed by implementing long term strategies,specifically designed to meet specific problems, such as language, health eduation, and training. FAST will also provide training to statutory agencies on how to work best with Asian families and reduce misunderstandings and misconceptions.

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