This monograph describes projects of the Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities which focus on empowerment and self-advocacy for individuals with disabilities and their family members. Individual sections address: (1) Partners in Policymaking (an intensive course to train individuals with disabilities and family members to become community leaders); (2) Parents as Case Managers (projects which train parents for this role); (3) Personal Futures Planning (a group planning and support process to help an individual toward a better future); (4) the voucher system (in which families and individuals select among service options and are reimbursed with government money); (5) youth leadership (which fosters integrated friendships and develops leadership and self-determination skills); (6) People First (which uses a group format to teach self-advocacy skills); and (7) career vision (which focuses on identification of individual skills and goals and matching these with employment possibilities). Activities of the projects have included a survey of "best practices" in empowerment and self-advocacy, and establishment of contacts in each state with the developmental disabilities council, the university affiliated programs, and a major consumer/parent organization. (DB)