Background: Funding bodies in Australia and the United Kingdom require research on issues that affect the lives of people with intellectual disability to be inclusive. Debate continues about the nature and benefits of inclusive research, which has become an umbrella term encompassing a broad spectrum of approaches. Method: This study proposes one…

Background: This participatory action research (PAR) project involved a collaboration with a self-advocacy group of people with intellectual disabilities that sought to build group capacity for advocacy. Materials and Methods: This study used a focus group, sustained participatory engagement and a reflexive process to gather qualitative and…

The concepts of self-determination and self-advocacy have been a focus in the education of students with disabilities and many new curricula, guidelines, and materials have recently become available for educators. This article describes a project that involved individuals with intellectual disabilities in making a movie as a strategy for exploring…

The directory lists 380 organized self-advocacy programs for persons with disabilities in the United States and Canada. Programs are listed alphabetically by state and usually include program name, contact person, address, and telephone number. An update form is provided. A second directory included in the document is titled "Directory of…

This report describes the self-reported training needs of advisors to self-advocacy groups for people with mental retardation in the United States. The results of a telephone survey of 90 advisors indicate that because of time, financial, and interest issues, training opportunities for advisors need to be time sensitive, inexpensive, and…

This brochure provides a summary, in simple language, of an individual's legal rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act if arrested and offers specific suggestions for the individual faced with arrest. Answers and suggestions are provided for the following questions: "What happens if I am stopped by the police?"; "What…

The model workshop described in this paper is intended to present the possibilities of organized self-advocacy for persons with mental retardation or other disabilities. Self-advocacy stresses dignity, respect, and making one's own choices. Information on planning a workshop covers length and size, date and time, speakers, location,…

A preliminary evaluation of a recently developed multicomponent educational and support program for enhancing the self-determination of youth with disabilities found that participating students (18 young adults with mental retardation) in the classroom-based competency building sessions demonstrated improved choice-making, interpersonal problem…

The manual was the outcome of a 3-year project to develop a training program on self-advocacy for special education students. The student training is a 3-4 hour program aimed at increased student awareness of their rights and responsibilities as they begin the transition process. Training materials include outlines for each session, student…

This document consists of a compilation of fact sheets and newsletters on specific topics related to handicapped children and youth. The specific titles are as follows: (1) General Information about Handicaps and People with Handicaps; (2) Sources of Help and Information; (3) Autism; (4) Cerebral Palsy; (5) Deafness; (6) Down's Syndrome; (7)…

The passage from childhood to adulthood is a passage for families as well as individuals. As young people with disabilities move from their teen to adult years, they and their families experience many growing pains in common with all families at that stage of life. In addition, there are often milestones, questions, concerns, needs, and challenges…

This serial issue features articles on the theme of empowering people with disabilities. First, there is a message from the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services' Assistant Secretary, Robert R. Davila. Next, "Empowerment: Dependence versus Independence," by Frank G. Bowe, stresses the need for…