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 report explains the transfer of legal rights to students with disabilities at age 18 in Oregon. Sections of the report address: (1) the rights that transfer to the student; (2) the rights that parents keep; (3) school district notice requirements; (4) alternatives to the transfer of rights, including the appointment of a surrogate parent by…

This paper describes how to teach speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) to advocate for themselves regarding their health. It offers two stories about young immigrants who appear to be having a negative physical and emotional response to their lives in the United States. It presents a list of questions to determine students' comprehension…

This trainer's guide is designed specifically to provide training to individuals with mental retardation or other cognitive disabilities on their rights under titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Written in simple language and supported by drawings that make the material more accessible, the training is meant to give…

Describes how art therapists can clarify their roles and assertively sell themselves to the public. Looks at the future of art therapy, defines assertiveness, explores the need for art therapists as mentors, details the need for change, and introduces some practical solutions to achieve change. (RJM)

A man with a developmental disability discusses the self-advocacy movement, the cruelty of stigmatizing labels such as "mentally retarded," and the need for greater involvement in professional organizations such as the American Association on Mental Retardation. He proposes a joint conference with a self-advocacy organization. (DB)

This article discusses how outside contributions and interests can place self-advocates in danger, how personal issues of advisors may place self-advocates in danger, a way for advisors to resolve their personal issues, and strategies that advisors can employ to assist and support self-advocates if they are in dangerous situations. (CR)

Securing meaningful involvement in service development and provision can be seen as a particular challenge for people with learning difficulties. The National Health Service & Community Care Act [(1990) HMSO, ISBN 0105419907] and more recently Valuing People [Department of Health (2001) "Valuing people: a new strategy for learning…

Self-determination for people with severe disabilities first appears in the 1972 writing of Benget Nirje, where he came to the realization that they could and should have a role in their own choices. Nirje's writings called for a wide range of actions that would enable them to better control their lives and destinies, including choice and control…

In 1997, the government of Ontario announced the establishment of the Learning Opportunities Task Force (LOTF) to develop and administer a series of pilot projects to enhance the transition of students with specific learning disabilities into postsecondary education, and to identify what supports, services and accommodations would assist these…

A popular term in contemporary special education circles is "empowerment," but what does it actually mean to be an empowered individual? Although many definitions exist in the literature and include such terms such as self-determination and self-advocacy, at the core of empowerment is the understanding that an individual is truly empowered the…

This paper uses oral history and documentary materials to develop a cross-cultural comparison of the experiences of two self-advocates who spent significant parts of their lives in learning difficulty institutions in England and Iceland. Anne Lewthwaite and Eyglo Ebba Hreinsdottir, born in the same era (1948-1950), were linked through the Open…

Students with disabilities are increasingly enrolled in postsecondary education, yet many of them are not prepared to cope with the rigor of higher education. Students who do not have the skills of self-empowerment often experience frustration and discouragement in the postsecondary setting, leading to their dropping out of school and eventually…

Twenty-nine recommendations were compiled from ideas generated by participants at the National Conference on Self- Determination, which was called by the United States Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, with over half the participants having disabilities of some kind. The participants came with different perspectives, but…

Excerpts are given of presentations and discussion from the 1979 Puerto Rico conference on international developments in mental retardation. R. Dybwad ("The Child with Retardation Today--The Adult of Tomorrow") briefly reviews international issues, including self advocacy and problems of world poverty and malnutrition. M. de Trias lists ideal…