Norman Kunc, consultant on educational and disability issues, discusses his early segregated education and perceived devaluation due to his cerebral palsy; the intrusion of therapies into his daily schedule; and the sometimes assaultive nature of physical therapy. Kunc views his disability as a characteristic of his personal diversity and…

This study identifies the factors that have contributed most to supporting growth of self-advocacy among people with developmental disabilities, by examining the history of self-advocacy and reporting on interviews with six self-advocates and six advisors of the self-advocacy movement. The study concludes that the growth of self-advocacy has been…

A series of individual and small-group interviews on self determination for individuals with disabilities was conducted as part of the Vermont Self-Determination Project, a 3-year project to implement a statewide system change designed to allow people with developmental disabilities to have control and choice in their lives. The interviews were…

Opinions of professionals from 16 agencies were obtained to identify techniques that agencies serving adults or adolescents with mental retardation could utilize to provide systematic sex education and counseling. Recommendations are offered in five areas: self-advocacy and self-determination, individual design, staff training and support,…

This pilot study examined the career self-efficacy of 75 college students (40 with disabilities and 35 without disabilities) using the Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDMSE-SF) and semi-structured interviews. Career self-efficacy was defined as the belief that an individual can accomplish his/her career goals. Results…

The purpose of this study was to identify variables that facilitate the academic success of college students with learning disabilities. Twenty recent college graduates with documented learning disabilities were interviewed using a semi-structured format. An analysis of the transcripts of the interviews revealed eight common themes, many of which…

The authors interviewed 25 lesbians with physical disabilities about their counseling experiences. Using a phenomenological qualitative approach, the authors identified 9 themes. Five themes addressed participants' perceptions of their counselors: general satisfaction or dissatisfaction, counselors' general effectiveness, counselors' awareness and…

This article presents an interview with Ross Todd, director of research at Rutgers University's Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries. Todd talks about the impact of the Ohio study, based on student's evaluation of their media centers, and his quest to renew school libraries. He stresses that part of the renewal and continuous…

This report is based upon a review of current Idaho policies, laws, regulations, and practices that have affected the lives of people with developmental disabilities, interviews with a sample of administrators and staff members representing government, voluntary agencies, self-advocacy groups, and provider agencies, and insights gained from…

This article presents the findings of a research study on the quality of the learning experiences of youth with disabilities who participated in Wisconsin's Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Program--a rigorous two-year work-based learning program for high school juniors and seniors. The researchers identify key factors that enhance the capacity of youth…

This resource guide for individuals with developmental disabilities and their advocates looks at five ways to increase the freedom of choice for people with developmental disabilities, including assessing needs, planning for services, evaluating services, understanding the service system, and teaching self-advocacy. The first section includes a…

This dissertation addresses the general experience of foreign language learners of high school and college age who are totally blind and who study in regular classroom settings. In a qualitative study, interviews were conducted with five nearsighted students, their foreign language classroom teachers, and teachers of students with visual…