Introduction to the Special Issue on the Americans with Disabilities Act

This introduction provides an overview of the articles included in the Special Issue

Changing Times: Self-disclosure and the Representational Styles of Legislators with Physical Disabilities

As a number of factors have produced more opportunities for people with disabilities, entry into the political arena is a logical consequence. Questions about what challenges such individuals will face as politicians and how they will choose to "represent" and focus on disability concerns become paramount. We profile the disability-oriented activities of two politicians (Bob Dole and James Langevin) representative of different cultural eras in the disability rights movement. Despite differences in constituencies and ideologies, findings suggest, as has been true for other underrepresented groups, politicians with disabilities will be more likely to represent disability issues. Because Langevin has been more public than Dole about disclosing aspects of his disability, findings also highlight the impact of a changed cultural context, a member's background, personality and other circumstances on aspects of his political activity.

HIV comprehensive service plan, 1994-11

An HIV Comprehensive Services Plan submitted to the Health Services Planning Council for the purpose of funding programs through the Ryan White C.A.R.E. Act

Sometimes Allies: Parent-Led Disability Organizations and Social Movements

Despite the recent growth of scholarship on parent activism related to disability, the existing literature tends to focus on specific organizations and time periods and draw on a social psychological approach to examine the motivations of parents in becoming activists. This paper considers disability activism as a field of social movement organizations and focuses on disability organizations led by parents and their relationship to organizations led by activists with disabilities. Using qualitative methods informed by theoretically focused coding and grounded situational analysis, we examine the public framing of four national parent-led organizations that are politically prominent. Through this field approach, the analysis reveals the diversity of parent-led organizations, commonalities and the fault lines among these organizations, and the factors which effect the likelihood of alliances between organizations led by parents and those led by activists with disabilities