22,679 research outputs found

    How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet?

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    The focus of this position paper is Internet use by adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Drawing on existing literature in the field we will identify problems with and gaps in the current research. Our review is framed by three main questions: What constitutes a ‘normal’ life for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities? What constitutes ‘normal’ use of the Internet for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities? How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet? The key focus of this review is the complex relationship between adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those providing support; how they negotiate access to and use of the Internet and how perceptions regarding risk and normalcy mediate this negotiation. As a result of this review will argue that identified gaps and problems in the research field need to be addressed by expanding both methodological and conceptual approaches. In particular we will propose the need for more in-depth qualitative research that is inclusive in nature. We will also propose that an adapted positive risk-taking framework might be useful in framing the design, implementation and analysis of future research

    Review of transitions to adult services for young people with learning disabilities

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    Making disabled people’s voices vulnerable

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    This paper attempts to utilise creative writing to contribute to discourse in the fields of critical disability studies and inclusive education. Twelve semi-structured interviews were carried out with young disabled adults with different physical and/ or sensorial disabilities who followed or were following courses at further and higher education levels. Research findings that show day-to-day experiences that disabled persons live are presented in short poems to reveal their presumed struggles. The evidence espoused that inclusive education is a process and a way of living. Support from parents, peers, administrators and lecturers are key to individual and community building. Self-help strategies are crucial in developing agency which, with a washback effect would transform society into a more democratic one. However, disabled persons need to be given the opportunity by eradicating the deficit mentality in society towards disability and disabled persons. The discussion unveils how society makes the voices of disabled persons disempowered and vulnerable. It is suggested that in Malta, wider opportunities for disabled persons to pursue their education at further and higher education levels and to enter the employment sector are needed to promulgate inclusive communities. Entities need to emulate a positive and proactive attitude towards social inclusion and cohesion. The contribution of this paper is to create awareness about the dire need for social praxis in fostering emancipation and social justice from a rights-based standpoint in favour of disabled people.peer-reviewe

    The Future of Disability in Alaska Summit & Follow-up Survey

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    The Future of Disability in Alaska Summit was held in Anchorage in the summer of 2013, May 9-10. The purpose was to gather perspectives from a diverse group of stakeholders to inform a vision of the future for people with disabilities in Alaska in five broad topical areas: 1) Housing Arrangements, 2) Advocacy, 3) Relationships, 4) Economic Wellbeing, and 5) Health. About 76 stakeholders participated in the summit including people with disabilities, family members, advocates, service providers, policymakers, and others. A follow-up online survey was conducted to gather information from a broader range of stakeholders and to get a sense of the highest priorities in each area. The purpose of the report and other products coming out of this effort is to inspire stakeholders to periodically reflect, individually and in groups, on how they are working toward the vision in a relevant area and taking action in the context of advocacy, policy/regulation, funding, and services/resources. The report states a vision for each of the five topical areas and includes many suggested strategies to accomplish it.Funded in part by Grant Number T7320663 from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration; and Grant Number 90DD0009-02-00 from the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Community Living; both in the U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesList of Tables / Executive Summary / Introduction / Method / Participants / Result

    Rethinking Disability in the Private Sector: Report from the Panel on Labour Market Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

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    In July 2012, the Government of Canada appointed a panel to consult with private sector employers, as well as other organizations and individuals, on the labour market participation of people with disabilities. The panel members were asked to identify successes and best practices in the employment of people with disabilities, as well as the barriers faced by employers, and to report on their findings. In-person and telephone consultations were conducted with almost 70 employers, and feedback was received from approximately 130 online submissions. Responses came from organizations of all sizes across the country and in a broad range of industry sectors. Findings were shared anonymously with a number of national non-profit organizations and business associations to determine if they resonated with other stakeholders. While the consultations were the main focus of the panel’s efforts, research was also conducted into the business case associated with hiring people with disabilities in Canada and other jurisdictions. This report is directed at Canadian private sector employers, and offers the following findings: Many companies are doing great things, but more education and training are needed (see “Employers speak”). While most of the companies we heard from showed a genuine desire to hire people with disabilities, education and training are required to overcome barriers, dispel myths and put theory into practice. As the examples of forward-thinking Canadian companies and their best practices testify, there is significant experience available on which to build. Hiring people with disabilities is good for business. (see “Understanding the business case”). We heard this from senior and experienced business leaders who recognize the value of an inclusive work environment. Although mainly intuitive, their beliefs are supported by the performance of corporate diversity leaders on the capital markets, as well as data on employee retention and productivity. It is noteworthy that in 57 percent of cases, no workplace accommodation is required for people with disabilities. In the 37 percent of cases reporting a one-time cost to accommodate an employee with a disability, the average amount spent is $500. The keys to success are leadership and effective community partnerships (see “Making it work for you”). To increase employment among people with disabilities and access the related benefits, tone from the top and the actions of leaders are imperative. Also critical is identifying community partners who fully understand the business’s talent needs and are committed to customer service. To help organizations begin the process of engaging and employing talented people with disabilities, this section also includes a list of initiatives called “Getting started.

    How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers

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    Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a “total approach to rehabilitation”, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970’s, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program

    The Change was as Big as Night and Day : Experiences of Professors Teaching Students with Intellectual Disabilities

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    Since the inception of the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008, there has been an increase in the number of post-secondary education institutions in the United States that have established inclusive postsecondary programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities to attend college and achieve higher levels of employment. Previous studies have investigated the development and outcomes of these programs, however, less has been explored related to professors\u27 experiences and perceptions regarding this unique student population, particularly within Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). The current study focused on professors teaching inclusive courses within a new Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Program at a HSI and aimed to identify their perceptions and experiences related to instructing students with intellectual disabilities. Six professors participated in pre- and post-semester in-depth interviews. Findings from applied thematic analysis included: (a) barriers to success; (b) academic supports and strategies; (c) successful outcomes and (d) considerations for future, related programming

    Challenges Facing Young Adults with Complex Communication Needs Entering the Adult Health Care System

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    Barbara Abbott, PhD, OTR/L is a school-based occupational therapist currently working with students grades K-12 in four schools in Kent, WA. The purpose of our project was to identify the most effective service delivery models and/or components of interventions for young adults with complex communication needs to understand their health information. We conducted a systematic review to critically appraise literature published between the years of 1990-2018 to address our research question. Our research yielded a total of seven qualitative and 12 quantitative studies to address our research question. Qualitative data found that individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) experience significant challenges in adulthood with managing and communicating their health needs. Quantitative research identified seven evidence-based interventions that improved health knowledge, health literacy, and health advocacy skills for improving participation in the adult healthcare system. The overarching recommendation from the studies highlighted the importance of promoting self-advocacy and self-determination to navigate the system and manage individual health needs. There is a need for professionals to help prepare these young adults throughout the transition phase from pediatric to the adult healthcare system. Our subsequent knowledge translation product entailed developing a tri-fold pamphlet intended for school administrators and school-based occupational therapists. It includes qualitative data and evidence based interventions to improve health literacy and self-advocacy skills for young adults with communication challenges in the school setting. Outcomes data collected from school based occupational therapists indicated that the research findings in the pamphlet were widely new information for them. Additionally, they reported positive reactions to the pamphlet. Occupational therapists surveyed agreed that teaching health education is within their scope of practice in the school setting, and reported an interest in incorporating a health education intervention for students with disabilities into their services. Future research is recommended for developing additional evidence-based interventions for preparing these young adults to advocate for their health needs. Recommendations for future translation of knowledge include catering the information in the pamphlets to specific audiences, such as one pamphlet for occupational therapists and a separate pamphlet for school administrators, with suggestions regarding support for families and educators

    A Framework for Information Accessibility in Large Video Repositories

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    International audienceOnline videos are a medium of choice for young adults to access or receive information, and recent work has highlighted that it is a particularly effective medium for adults with intellectual disability, by its visual nature. Reflecting on a case study presenting fieldwork observations of how adults with intellectual disability engage with videos on the Youtube platform, we propose a framework to define and evaluate the accessibility of such large video repositories, from an informational perspective. The proposed framework nuances the concept of information accessibility from that of the accessibility of information access interfaces themselves (generally catered for under web accessibility guidelines), or that of the documents (generally covered in general accessibility guidelines). It also includes a notion of search (or browsing) accessibility, which reflects the ability to reach the document containing the information. In the context of large information repositories, this concept goes beyond how the documents are organized into how automated processes (browsing or searching) can support users. In addition to the framework we also detail specifics of document accessibility for videos. The framework suggests a multi-dimensional approach to information accessibility evaluation which includes both cognitive and sensory aspects. This framework can serve as a basis for practitioners when designing video information repositories accessible to people with intellectual disability, and extends on the information presentation guidelines such as suggested by the WCAG. Publication rights licensed to ACM. ACM acknowledges that this contribution was authored or co-authored by an employee, contractor or affiliate of a national government. As such, the Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free right to publish or reproduce this article, or to allow others to do so, for Government purposes only

    Disability Accessibility and Inclusion Training for Adults of Minnesota 4-H

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    Minnesota 4-H is an out of school program that promotes development of leadership skills and active civil participation of youth of all ages through its various programming options. Despite the involvement of thousands of youth participants and adult volunteers in 4-H programs across Minnesota, currently a gap in disability accessibility and inclusion resources for volunteers exists. This quality improvement project aimed to bridge this gap by developing three pre-recorded training modules designed for Minnesota 4-H staff, volunteers, and youth leaders about accessibility and inclusion best practices. Results of a pilot group and accessibility metrics indicated that the developed materials were usable, understandable, actionable, and accessible for the target audience. These results show the benefit of usable accessibility and inclusion education materials to Minnesota 4-H. There is potential that trainings like this could benefit other community-based organizations. Occupational therapy can play a role in continued education and advocacy for accessibility within community-based recreational organizations
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