1,860 results on '"Syracuse Univ"'
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2. The Direct Support Workforce Crisis: Can Unions Help Resolve This?
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Taylor, Steven J.
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Problems faced by the developmental disability service system in recruiting and retaining direct support staff are exacerbated by demands from competing service industries, including long term supports for the increasing aging population in the United States. Many factors account for high turnover and vacancy rates in the community service system, including conditions of employment, service model characteristics, employment context, and others. Studies have consistently attributed high turnover and vacancy rates, and especially the discrepancy between rates in community settings as opposed to institutions, to low wages and benefits. One proposal to address the direct support workforce crisis is the unionization of direct support workers in the private sector; however, the unionization of direct support workers in the private sector is deeply controversial among people in the field of developmental disabilities. This report provides a discussion of the workforce crisis and presents arguments both for and against unionization, concluding that if direct support workers in the community continue to receive low wages and poor benefits, people with disabilities, family members, and advocates may not have a say in the matter of whether direct support workers become unionized. The author advocates that it would be better to engage in constructive dialogue with forward-looking unions or even a single union than to let events unfold on their own. (Contains 1 figure.)
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- 2008
3. Disability Studies: Information and Resources
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Taylor, Steven, Shoultz, Bonnie, and Walker, Pamela
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This document reflects the diversity of the field of Disability Studies, including contributions representing different disability groups, perspectives, and disciplines. Resource information is presented in nine sections: (1) Books, Chapters, and Articles; (2) Films and Documentaries; (3) Academic Programs in Disability Studies in North America; (4) Periodicals; (5) Special/Feature Issues of Periodicals; (6) Organizations; (7) Special Interest Groups; (8) Internet Resources; and (9) Resources for Teaching Disability Studies. Noting that new information is continually becoming available, these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. [Additional contributors include: Jagdish Chander, Beth Ferri, Perri Harris, Lori Lewin, Michael Schwartz, Zach Rosetti, Julia White, and Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri. This document was produced by the National Resource Center on Supported Living and Choice, Center on Human Policy, School of Education, Syracuse University.]
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- 2003
4. Beyond Compliance: An Information Package on the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Cory, Rebecca, Taylor, Steve, Walker, Pamela, and White, Julia
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People with disabilities are present and visible at universities and postsecondary institutions as never before. This reflects changes in societal attitudes, law, public policy, and government programs, and, perhaps most important, the views disabled people have of themselves. The growing presence of this new "minority" on campus poses challenges to all postsecondary institutions. This information package contains essays, reprints, and resources designed to assist postsecondary institutions to move beyond basic compliance and to include disabled persons in all aspects of campus life. It is designed to offer perspectives, strategies, and resources that individuals can use to advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities at universities and postsecondary institutions. This package uses Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a starting point for discussions of the inclusion of persons with disabilities, followed by discussion of the case for moving beyond compliance and various ways postsecondary institutions, faculty, and students can accomplish this. Specific accommodations for the disabled are presented, including a program that involves young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in campus life. Reprints of published articles that address different ways in which the visibility of disability on campus can be raised are included. The report concludes with annotations of selected published sources and additional resources. (Contains 4 notes.) [This publication was written with Jagdish Chander, Eugene Marcus, Michael Schwartz, Valerie Smith, Cheryl Spear, and Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri.]
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- 2003
5. Inclusion in Education: Issues and Resources
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Zubal-Ruggieri, Rachael, and Smith, Valerie
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Despite progress, there is a continuing need for resource information about available supports for full inclusion of students with disabilities in educational settings. This information packet, substantially revised from 1993, is intended to provide basic information on timely subjects within inclusive education and to assist interested people in gaining better access to these materials. Resources are topically categorized by: (1) Case Studies and Strategies for Inclusion; (2) Parents and Families: (3) Policy; (4) Preschool Resources: (5) Research; (6) Teacher and Professional Resources; (7) Theoretical Foundations and Philosophy; (8) Newsletters and E-Newsletters; (9) Organizations and Projects; (10) Websites; and (11) Resources on IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.)
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- 2003
6. Shifting from Empowered Agencies to Empowered People: Neighbours, Inc.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Walker, Pam, and Cory, Rebecca
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This report describes Neighbours, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Franklin Park, New Jersey, that offers individualized supports for people with disabilities. In addition to the CEO and the director, the agency employs five advisors. These advisors each work to coordinate support for between five and seven people. Advisors, who typically have contact with the people they support at least once a week, provide a variety of supports including hiring personal assistants, working on scheduling and managing personal assistance services, looking for job opportunities, and building social networks. This report discuses the organization structure of Neighbours, how the agency provides supports toward full community life, housing supports, daytime supports, assisting individuals in expanding their social networks, advocacy efforts, and service brokerage. Critical factors to the success of Neighbours are identified and include: (1) linking agency practice to philosophy; (2) providing creative solutions to individual situations; (3) devoting resources to relationships and quality lives; (4) having a commitment to finding the funding to support integrated lives; and (5) using the best technology possible to help individuals achieve autonomy. Challenges to the program are also discussed and include dealing with the state bureaucracy and finding quality personal assistants. (CR)
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- 2002
7. Promising Practices in Community Development for Board Inclusion: NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council's Promoting Leadership Opportunities Demonstration Project.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Spear, Cheryl, and Kabuga, Esther
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This report describes the best practices identified by eight projects in upstate New York funded to work towards increasing the number of individuals with developmental disabilities who serve in leadership roles on policy boards and planning committees of community agencies and organizations. Programs were based on the model developed by Capabilities Unlimited in Cincinnati (Ohio). The model focuses on bringing together as a TRIAD, persons with developmental disabilities, mentors, and board representatives to participate as partners within community agencies. Participating projects responded to a questionnaire after the first grant year, the community development phase. The community development phase involves planned interventions to induce positive structural changes in the community through citizen participation. Following an introductory chapter, each chapter focuses on a specific segment of the community development phase. Each chapter also closes with a summary of key strategies for future practice. Chapters address: (1) pre-launch activities; (2) outreach; (3) cultivating a cultural role model; (4) keeping the community connected to the process of inclusion; (5) successful outcomes; (6) major barriers successfully overcome; and (7) lessons learned. Seventeen appendices include project letters, resource lists, fact sheets, brochures, questionnaires, job descriptions, and training schedules. (DB)
- Published
- 2002
8. Community Participation and Social Networks: An Information Package.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Walker, Pam, Walker, Pam, and Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy.
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This information packet presents five readings about community participation and social networks of people with developmental disabilities and an annotated bibliography. The first paper, "Building Stronger Communities for All: Thoughts about Community Participation for People with Developmental Disabilities" (Robert Bogdan and Steven J. Taylor), focuses on what it means for the individual to be a part of the community. The second paper, developed by the Center on Human Policy, is "A Guide to Knowing Your Community," which offers ideas about places, associations, and activities within the community appropriate for people with developmental disabilities that might otherwise be overlooked. The third paper, "Other than Clients: Reflections on Relations between People with Disabilities and Typical People" (Zana Marie Lutfiyya), describes some key aspects of assisting people to form meaningful relationships. The final two readings, "Citizen Participation: Connecting People to Associational Life" (Sharon Gretz) and "Community Building in a Chicago Neighborhood" (Michael Ervin), offers stories, strategies, and reflections related to promoting community participation and social networks. The annotated bibliography lists 38 references, published from 1985 through 2001, with full bibliographic information, publisher addresses, and abstracts. (DB)
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- 2002
9. Strategies and Challenges in Supporting Children with Complex Medical Needs in the Community: Report on a Site Visit to Western Pennsylvania
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Rosenau, Nancy, and Walker, Pam
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In early 2000, the Center on Human Policy started to receive reports that children with complex medical needs were being placed in nursing homes because of home care nursing shortages. Sensing that framing the issue as a nursing shortage directed solutions that revolved around nursing agency staff recruitment and retention strategies, the authors view the problem as a permanency issue, giving primacy to the relationships in a child's life, and advocate that putting permanency philosophy into practice can successfully enable some children with the most severe disabilities to live at home.
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- 2002
10. Estimating the Cost of an Adequate Education in New York. Working Paper.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center for Policy Research. and Duncombe, William
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The New York State Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education have identified a set of performance standards for students that reflect the knowledge and skills needed to function as productive citizens in the 21st century. The New York State Department of Education has developed new Regents Examinations, which all students must pass to graduate from high school, and new examinations in fourth and eighth grades that serve as intermediate checkpoints for assessing progress. This paper develops estimates of the costs of financing the achievement of higher standards. Key tools for estimating the cost of adequacy are education cost functions and cost of education indexes. The cost function approach uses statistical methods to extract from actual data the relationship between student characteristics, cost of living, and spending required to meet performance standards. Overall, greater student needs and higher salaries required to recruit good teachers significantly raise the cost of education in large New York cities. The total spending increase statewide required to reach the recommended standard is $7.2 billion. New York's current system of school aid programs is not well-suited to reaching student performance objectives. Developing an adequacy-based finance system will require a better-designed aid system, a required minimum level of contribution from all districts, and improved use of all resources. (SM)
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- 2002
11. Statistics, Measures, and Quality Standards for Assessing Digital Reference Library Services: Guidelines and Procedures.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Information Studies., Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Information Use Management and Policy Inst., McClure, Charles R., Lankes, R. David, Gross, Melissa, and Choltco-Devlin, Beverly
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This manual is a first effort to begin to identify, describe, and develop procedures for assessing various aspects of digital reference service. Its overall purpose is to improve the quality of digital reference services and assist librarians to design and implement better digital reference services. More specifically, its aim is to: assist librarians and others to develop ongoing programs of assessment of digital reference services; provide a practical set of guidelines and procedures for how assessment of digital reference services can be done; and develop standardized procedures and definitions of statistics and measures that may be compared across different libraries. The first chapter is an introduction that provides a short background discussion on digital reference service, outlines the need for digital reference evaluation, and describes the purpose and format of the manual. The second chapter describes the various statistics and measures selected for inclusion in this manual. The chapter is divided into the following sections: Descriptive Statistics and Measures; Log Analysis; User Satisfaction Measures; Cost; Staff Time Expended; Other Assessment Options; and Quality Standards. Each statistic and measure is described in terms of these general categories: Definition, Rationale, Data Collection Procedures, and Issues and Considerations. Appendixes include sample forms, reports, logs, worksheets and survey instruments; and other statistics and measure considered for the manual. (Contains 14 references.) (AEF)
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- 2002
12. Increasing the Chances for Deeper Change through Person-Centered Planning.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Mount, Beth, O'Brien, John, and O'Brien, Connie Lyle
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This brief paper offers an inventory to help implement change strategies and achieve person-centered planning for people with severe disabilities. The inventory is intended to examine use of 12 resources that facilitate change and increase the chance of good outcomes. A visual display of the model on which the inventory is based is provided first. For each resource, the inventory explains its meaning, then asks the user to determine its role for the individual in question, and then offers space for user ideas for discovering, developing, or building on the resource. The 12 resources are: (1) a person with a strong desire for change; (2) a support circle; (3) at least one committed champion; (4) a community builder; (5) a skilled facilitator; (6) a productive process; (7) a positive view of personal capacities; (8) a personal vision for a rich community life; (9) connections to wider communities; (10) an agency committed to change; (11) influence with people in authority; and (12) flexible resources to support positive action. (DB)
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- 2002
13. Fixing New York's State Education Aid Dinosaur: A Proposal. Policy Brief.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. and Yinger, John
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New York State provides aid to local schools in a way that is unfair to the neediest school districts with high educational needs or low property wealth. Proposed in this policy brief is a new formula for state aid based on a comprehensive educational cost index and a school performance index that reflects an average passing rate on the new English and math high school Regents tests. The cost index, derived from a regression analysis of the determinants of district spending per pupil in 1999, is similar to one used by Massachusetts. It determines the impact of one variable on spending, holding other variables constant. It takes several steps to separate cost factors outside a school district's control from those due to inefficiency. The first component, teacher wage-cost variation, allows the wage-cost index to control for teacher quality and account for both competition from the private sector and for the harshness of the classroom conditions. The second component is the cost of at-risk students, who are defined as those from a poor family, those with limited English proficiency, or those with a severe handicap. A foundation program based on the cost index would need to make up the difference between the spending required to meet the minimum performance and the revenue raised at the minimum allowable tax effort. The plan will require a minimum local tax effort provision. Aid to larger cities would increase significantly, and aid to rural and suburban districts would decrease dramatically, more closely approximating differences in teacher pay and number of at-risk students. (RJK)
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- 2001
14. Community for All Is Possible: Promoting Home and Community Life at Community Vision, Inc.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Walker, Pam
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This report on Community Vision, Inc. is part of a series documenting innovative supports for community living for adults with severe disabilities. Community Vision was created as an alternative to facility-based services in Oregon that would intentionally focus on providing inclusive community living for those with the most severe disabilities who were still in institutions, nursing homes, and other facilities. The agency currently supports 45 adults in community living, jobs, social relationships, and other community activities. The report is based on a site visit to the agency in August 2000 that included interviews and visits with people who are supported by Community Vision, family members, and agency staff and administrators. The lessons the agency has gained from direct experience of supporting individuals with severe disabilities in the community in Oregon contribute to the agency's key strengths, which include a focus on promoting a sense of home, personal control and choice; relationships, work, and meaningful community involvement for the people the agency supports; and an organizational focus on planning and teamwork/collaboration. These combined strengths are discussed, along with examples of how individuals are supported. Challenges facing Community Vision, Inc. are also discussed. (CR)
- Published
- 2001
15. Holding the 10,000 Details: Productive Relationships between Parents of People with Developmental Disabilities and Service Workers.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, Madison., O'Brien, John, and O'Brien, Connie Lyle
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This paper addresses the question of what it takes for parents of people with developmental disabilities and service workers to build and maintain productive relationships. It considers whether such a focus compromises principles of self-determination and suggests that people with strong support actually have more autonomy. Eleven suggestions for improving communication between parents and service workers are offered such as remembering differences in history between parents and service providers and expanding the individual's nework of relationships. The importance of honoring powerful emotions is stressed, noting that both parents and service workers often believe they are the weaker partners in the relationship. Other principles of relationship building include naming conflicts, naming fears, and recognizing cultural differences. The metaphor of "holding 10,000 details" is used to describe the parents' and service workers' role. These details are also shown to be a source of inequality, the root of power transactions, the source of conflicts and overprotection, and closely related to the big idea of self-determination. The paper concludes by stressing that the individual with a developmental disability must be seen as a whole person in relationship to others and in their experience of disability. (DB)
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- 2001
16. Paying Customers Are Not Enough: The Dynamics of Individualized Funding.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., and O'Brien, John
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Discussion of the dynamics of individualized funding for providing services to people with developmental disabilities focuses on how individual funding may drive the changes necessary to develop services that offer highly customized assistance. This discussion considers why the concept of paying customers is powerful but misleading in light of such realities as the mismatch between what is wanted and what is offered, the lack of competition in the market for developmental disability services, and the need for customized services to be provided not at a single point but over long periods of time as people's requirements change. It suggests that what is needed is a market that stimulates innovation. Policymakers are urged to harness three interlocking processes: variation (many agents pursue different strategies in a shared environment); interaction (agents create exchanges, make use of things, and inform themselves about other agents' strategies; and selection (of some strategies over others). The paper suggests that a system with the best chance of continuing adaptability and success must have: (1) lots of agents; (2) some connections among agents; and (3) willingness and ability to try and tell. Policies and structures are judged by the criterion of whether, over time, people with disabilities and their families are more able to act as agents in customizing the assistance they require. (DB)
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- 2001
17. Paving the Way to Kindergarten: Timelines and Guidelines for Preschool Staff Working with Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Barnes, Ellen
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This booklet is designed to offer preschool staff who are working with children with special needs a process for supporting children and families through the transition to kindergarten. It begins by discussing the teachers role as a partner to parents of children with disabilities. A timeline is then presented for planning a child's transition to kindergarten. Goals and student educational objectives are listed for September to December, January to February, and March to June. Tips are provided for writing a teacher report for the Committee on Special Education, as well as for providing a transition portfolio for the kindergarten teacher. Activities are also listed for helping children to be emotionally ready to transition to kindergarten. The booklet then discusses home school placement and placement in inclusive schools. A reading list on transition is provided, along with transition books for students. Appendices include a Kindergarten Survival Skills Checklist, an observation checklist to help parents and educators organize information and impressions of a programs suitability for a particular child, a list of questions for parents to consider to assess a student's program needs, and a transition to kindergarten timeline for planning for preschool staff, parents, and school staff. (CR)
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- 2001
18. Pathfinders: Making a Way from Segregation to Community Life.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., O'Brien, Connie Lyle, Mount, Beth, O'Brien, John, and Rosen, Fredda
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This paper describes the Pathfinders program in New York (New York), which works to facilitate the full integration of adults with developmental disabilities into workplaces and neighborhoods. The paper is organized around the question of whether students graduating from special education can find paid and volunteer work in community settings, become involved in social and recreational activities in their neighborhoods, and develop new friendships and associations in these settings. Discussion focuses on the concept of "capacity thinking," which stresses five ideas: (1) building a capacity view of the individual; (2) challenging deficiency thinking; (3) discovering opportunities; (4) increasing expectations; and (5) advocating for necessary resources and services. Other principles include person-centered work and development projects, making space to work outside the current system of special education and adult services, investing in renewal, forum creation, and person-centered planning. Excerpts from participants' comments on their experiences illustrate the paper's ideas. (Contains 14 references.) (DB)
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- 2001
19. Self-Determination in Vermont: Contributions of the Vermont Self-Determination Project.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Walker, Pam, Harris, Perri, Hall, Mair, Smith, Valerie, and Shoultz, Bonnie
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This report discusses the accomplishments and challenges of the Vermont Self-Determination Project (SDP), a 3-year project designed to empower individuals with developmental disabilities to create the quality of life they desire for themselves and, by discovering and sharing their natural gifts and talents, to nourish and enrich both their own lives and those of their communities. To meet this goal, the SDP has worked collaboratively with people with disabilities and families to promote statewide systems change both to increase opportunities for choice and control and to decrease barriers to choice and control. The report is based on interviews conducted with SDP teams, other project staff, and individuals with disabilities and families of individuals with disabilities who have had some contact or involvement with SDP teams. The report addresses four areas: opportunities for self-determination at the individual level, systems change to promote self-determination, self-advocacy, and issues related to implementation of the SDP itself. For each area, there is a discussion of accomplishments and challenges. This is followed by a section addressing next steps that were identified during the course of the research, and a brief conclusion. Findings indicate SDP has made a significant contribution to comprehensive systems change. (CR)
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- 2000
20. Acting on a Vision: Agency Conversion at KFI, Millinocket, Maine.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Walker, Pam
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This report is part of a series of reports designed to document innovative daytime and supported living practices. It is based on a site visit to Katahdin Friends, Inc. (KFI) in March 1998. Since the mid-1980s, KFI, located in Millinocket, Maine, has transformed its supports for people with developmental disabilities from those that promote segregation to those that promote community inclusion and membership. KFI has transformed their preschool into an integrated preschool and closed the special purpose school, transferring children into regular public schools. In addition, they closed both the workshop and the day program, opting instead to support people in community jobs and other meaningful, integrated daytime activities. At the time of the site visit, the agency provided supported living services to 22 people and day services to 14 individuals. The first section of the report describes some of the key factors that facilitated conversion. The next section presents examples of community supports provided by the agency. A concluding section discusses key components to the conversion process, including a value base that plays a strong role in guiding decisions and actions, persistence, creativity, a focus on relationships, and collaboration. (CR)
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- 2000
21. Learning about Community Support for the Families of Children with Disabilities. Reflections on the Local Liaison Learning Group. Parent Leadership Program.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., and O'Brien, John
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The Parent Leadership Program team that created and facilitated a Local Liaison Learning Group between September 1998 and November 1999 gathered in mid-January 2000 to discuss what they had learned. The Learning Group was thought of by the Parent Leadership Program team as an applied research setting for investigating the conditions that support or undermine change in families of children with disabilities and their communities. The compilation of a learning history, designed to capture Learning Group participants' views of their local projects at four points in the project years, describes a process intended to support change and intervention which mostly did not occur, because of the inability of project teams to overcome the barriers to taking any sustained and broad-based action to influence their communities. The learning process did, however, contain important lessons for people concerned about improving family support and creating effective parent-professional partnerships. Lessons were learned also about the difficulty of acting creatively outside the boundaries of established roles and practices. (CR)
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- 2000
22. Negotiation. [Revised].
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Taylor, Steven J.
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This paper is designed to enable disability activists, parents, and advocates to negotiate effectively. It begins by describing negotiations for short-term or long-term changes and different approaches for negotiating. Steps for preparing for negotiation are listed, along with strategies: (1) control the negotiation session; (2) never negotiate when you are out-numbered; (3) select a spokesperson; (4) present a united front; (5) know and cite the facts; (6) know how people resist change; (7) be assertive, but don't attack people personally; (8) avoid being put on the defensive; (9) use anger strategically; (10) create a record; (11) latch onto any concessions; (12) establish firm timetables and standards of performance; (13) don't do work for the other side; (14) know what will and will not be accepted; and (15) use strategies for deadlocks such as walk-outs, or threats of media coverage or litigation. Follow-up steps for negotiation are also provided. (CR)
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- 2000
23. New York Partnership for Statewide Systems Change, 2000. Final Report.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Education. and Price, Melissa
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This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the New York Partnership for Statewide Systems Change 2000, a 5-year project to increase and improve inclusive educational services to New York State students with severe disabilities at the secondary level and students with serious emotional disturbance at the elementary and middle school levels. The project provided inservice training, technical assistance, community training, higher education planning, and model demonstration and evaluation activities to accomplish the following five goals: (1) expand and enhance the capability of local school districts (LEAs) throughout the state to serve students with severe disabilities in general education settings; (2) design and propose revisions to funding and regulations to enhance LEAs to collaborate with regional public and private agencies; (3) design and propose interagency agreement models to formalize the provision of comprehensive educational and student support services; (4) expand inclusive teacher teacher-education-approved programs leading to certification in both general and special education; and (5) coordinate activities with related projects and agencies involved in the development and validation of most promising practices. Individual sections of this report describe the project's goals and objectives, major accomplishments, accomplishments by specific goals, problems encountered, technical changes, and impact. (CR)
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- 2000
24. 'Learning Community' Discussion Paper: Self-Determination in Vermont.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Walker, Pam, Shoultz, Bonnie, Hall, Mair, and Harris, Perri
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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 held with four teams, each composed of a consumer, a family member, and a service agency representative. Additional interviews were conducted with non-team project staff. Results from the interviews indicated that: (1) an important component of self-determination is individual control over lives and money; (2) self-determination must go hand-in-hand with the further development of self-advocacy; (3) it is important that agencies, families, and others work with teams to further support the growth of self-advocacy; (4) clarity is needed on areas of responsibility for individuals who elect to manage their own money through an intermediary service organization; (5) quality-of-life issues need to be examined within the context of self-determination; and (6) real choices are limited within the existing system. Success and challenges of the project and the self-determination teams are discussed. (CR)
- Published
- 1999
25. Closing Brandon Training School: A Vermont Story.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Shoultz, Bonnie, Walker, Pam, and Hulgin, Kathy
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This report describes the closure process for Brandon Training School, Vermont's only public institution for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities, until it was closed in 1993. The report was developed through a review of documents and interviews with state administrators, local program directors and staff members, former Brandon employees, members of the Brandon town community, former residents and parents, advocates, attorneys, university researchers, and others. Topics discussed include what Brandon was like, origins of the idea of closure in the mid-1970s, issues for the advocacy community, beginning the closure process through development of a "Unification Plan," the role of the Division of Mental Retardation, the role of community providers, service development, building an infrastructure, moving toward individualized services, creating safeguards, challenges for the community service system, labor and economic issues for the Brandon community, physical plant issues, and social impact. A concluding section summarizes 10 key factors related to closure. These include recognition of shared values and common vision, responsiveness of administrators, and collaboration among community service providers. (Contains 14 references.) (DB)
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- 1999
26. Evaluation of Selected Websites at the U.S. Department of Education: Increasing Access to Web-Based Resources.
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Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Information Studies., Hert, Carol A., Eschenfelder, Kristin R., McClure, Charles R., Rubin, Jeffrey, Taffet, Mary D., Abend, Jennifer E., and Pimentel, David M.
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The Department of Education's Web site (http://www.ed.gov) is a rich information and service resource that is widely used both within the Department of Education and by a variety of users external to the Department. It provides extensive information about the Department and its programs and services, enables users to interact efficiently with some programs, and serves diverse audiences. As the Web site has grown and developed, a number of issues have arisen that require attention. This document presents results of an evaluation of the site from four perspectives: management assessment, policy analysis, log and transaction analysis, and usability testing. The full report is presented in five major sections and capped by an Executive Summary. Following Section I: "Introduction" in which the study objectives and methods are outlined, each of the four assessment techniques and associated findings are represented as individual sections--Section II: "Management Assessment"; Section III: "Policy Assessment"; Section IV: "Technical Assessment"; and Section V: "User Assessment." Within each section, the methodology is detailed, findings presented, and recommendations suggested. Appendices include details of data collection instruments and other background information. (Author/AEF)
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- 1999
27. Community Engagement: A Necessary Condition for Self-Determination and Individual Funding.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., and O'Brien, John
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This report discusses the need to provide people with disabilities with accessible opportunities for community contribution and to provide the individualized supports and assistance necessary to enable their participation. Two strategies are discussed for realizing these objectives: adequate individual funding controlled by people with disabilities and their families and friends; and a process of culture change through community engagement. Two models of the community engagement process are presented that directly involve more people and associations and promote higher levels of organization among people with disabilities and their families and friends. Possibilities for action are described and include: (1) create more family groups; (2) support leadership from among people with disabilities; (3) tell powerful stories; (4) keep person-centered planning vital and outside the orbit of the service system; (5) maintain clear links to political action while pursuing a distinct strategy; (6) develop cooperative projects; and (7) offer formal learning opportunities. (CR)
- Published
- 1999
28. My House Is Covered with Papers! Reflections on a Generation of Active Citizenship. Community Supported Living Series.
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Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, Madison., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., O'Brien, Connie Lyle, and O'Brien, John
- Abstract
This booklet highlights some of the insights that five mothers of children with developmental disabilities have gained after a generation of working together to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities in Wisconsin. It discusses civic activism, the critical importance of organized parent support, difficulties in collaborating with professionals, and social changes that affect the conditions for volunteer action. Lessons learned include: (1) parents with very different visions for their own sons and daughters can find common ground and work together for important changes; (2) victories can have unexpected consequences; (3) broader coalitions increase political clout, but once legislation is passed and appropriations are made, there will be many questions to settle about how the benefits are divided; (4) insiders in the system can and will be a help when common issues are discovered; (5) what took years to gain can be lost at the stroke of a pen; (6) ask for help and relinquish control when necessary in the interest of attaining what seems to be important; and (7) families need to be involved in finding solutions to problems, not only in identifying problems. (CR)
- Published
- 1999
29. Great Questions and the Art of Portraiture.
- Author
-
Responsive Systems Associates, Lithonia, GA., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., and O'Brien, John
- Abstract
This brief paper uses the concept of "great questions" to address issues in person-centered planning for individuals with disabilities. "Great questions" are defined as questions that refuse to be answered and so lead to deeper thinking and deeper connections. The concept of portraiture is used to examine the ethical question of what is the proper relationship between the practitioner of person-centered planning and the people he/she wants to serve. It suggests that, like the portrait artist, the practitioner of person-centered planning experiences a variety of roles including that of mirror, inquirer, companion, audience, spider woman (who spins the subject's tales), therapist, and human archaeologist. Practitioners are also urged to build relationships with people and their families and allies based on commitment to a common project and the continual asking of great questions. (DB)
- Published
- 1999
30. It's All Business: A Site Visit Report on Working Order, Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Research and Training Center on Community Living., Olney, Marjorie F., and Harris, Perri
- Abstract
This report discusses the results of a case study of Working Order, a Pennsylvania program designed to develop entrepreneurs with and without disabilities by sharing the expertise, resources, and skills of small business owners. The strategy of the program is to invite competitive entrepreneurs, those who could likely produce and sell their services or products on the open market, to share space with and support entrepreneurs who would likely not be able to compete in the marketplace due to their disabilities. The report describes how the program was started, its organizational structure and financing, its location in a former high school that has been converted to a community center, advantages to members, the business plan, and mentorships. Support strategies and three member profiles are discussed. Experiences with cooperative entrepreneurship, the importance of a well-developed mission statement, advantages of entrepreneurship for people with severe disabilities, ways to by-pass traditional funding and regulatory mechanisms, and the benefits of mutual support are also addressed. The report closes with a discussion on the challenges that Working Order is facing, including enticing competitive entrepreneurs. (CR)
- Published
- 1998
31. The Alexander N. Charters Library of Resources for Educators of Adults at Syracuse University Library.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Library. and Keenan, Terrance
- Abstract
This document describes the contents of the Alexander N. Charters Library of Resources for Educators of Adults at Syracuse University Library. The document begins with a brief history of the development of the library's collections, which occupy 900 feet of shelf space and contain more than 50 groups of personal papers and records of organizations involved in adult education. Next, some of the collections' most notable contents, including documents pertaining to the adult education activities conducted through the Peace Corps, Volunteers in Service to American (VISTA), and Project Head Start and the papers of Malcolm S. Knowles, Paul Henry Sheats, and Robert J. Blakely, are highlighted. The remainder of the document is an annotated bibliography of 53 items housed in the Charters library. Among those items are records of the following organizations and individuals: Adult Education Association (AEA), Adult Education Association/American Association for Adults and Continuing Education (AEA/AAACE), American Foundation for Continuing Education (AFCE), ERIC Clearinghouse of Adult Education (ERIC/AE), Fund for Adult Education (FAE), and Laubach Literacy International Incorporated and Laubach Literacy Action (LLA). (MN)
- Published
- 1998
32. Information Package on Disability Studies.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Harris, Perri, and Lewin, Lori
- Abstract
This document is a resource guide to disabilities studies, an approach to disability which seeks to examine the social, economic, and political forces that for years have served to marginalize and oppress people with disabilities. Following an introduction that explains the field of disability studies, Section 1 is an annotated bibliography of 13 disability studies texts and a list of 14 additional recent publications. Section 2 is an annotated bibliography of 12 feminist disability studies and Section 3 describes 11 autobiographies and personal narratives. The following section describes eight movies and documentaries related to disability studies. A list of 24 more mainstream films is also included in this section. Section 5 offers fairly detailed descriptions of classes, programs, or concentrations in disabilities studies held at eight institutions. Data include contact information, program emphasis, and program requirements. The next three sections describe seven journals and magazines, nine organizations, and six Internet resources concerned with disability studies. Attached are the following article reprints: "Disability Studies and Mental Retardation" by Steve Taylor; "Disability Studies: Introduction" (Lennard J. Davis and Simi Linton); "Disability Studies: Expanding the Parameters of Diversity" (Simi Linton and others); "(Dis)Abling Images" (Terry Collins and others); "Integrating Disability Studies into the Existing Curriculum: The Example of 'Women and Literature' at Howard University" (Rosemarie Garland Thomson); "Silence Is Not without Voice: Including Deaf Culture within Multicultural Curricula" (H. Dirksen, L. Bauman and Jennifer Drake); "A Review of Deaf Studies Curricula" (H. Dirksen and L. Bauman); and "A Review of Harlan Lane's The Mask of Benevolence': Disabling the Deaf Community" (Lennard J. Davis). (Contains approximately 350 references.) (DB)
- Published
- 1998
33. Community Integration Policy and Practice Abstracts. Fourth Edition.
- Author
-
Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Inst. on Community Integration., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Searl, Julia, and Harris, Perri
- Abstract
This compilation of about 200 abstracts features journal articles relevant to the community integration of people with developmental disabilities. Articles were selected based on their relevance to policy and practice. Research articles were included if they had a strong applied emphasis with clear implications for contemporary policy and practice. Each entry provides bibliographic information on the article and a brief non-evaluative summary. Articles were originally published from 1988 to 1998. Articles are grouped under the following topics: abuse (5 articles), communication and social relationships (3 articles), community and supported living (7), criminal justice (8), education inclusion (21), education policies (4), employment (18), facilitated communication (18), faith communities (3), families (14), funding (5), health care (7), institutional closure (2), leisure (3), multicultural (7), national trends (16), parents with disabilities (2), philosophy/ideology (5), policy (16), quality assurance (5), reproductive issues (1), self-determination (11), sexuality (2), social relationships (6), and transition to adulthood (7). (DB)
- Published
- 1998
34. Annotated Bibliography on Community Integration. Third Edition.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Hall, Mair, and Walker, Pam
- Abstract
This bibliography lists and abstracts approximately 550 selected resources (books, monographs, and unpublished but publicly available documents) on community integration for people with developmental and other disabilities. Emphasis is on inclusion for people with severe disabilities and selection was based on the degree to which a resource reflected established principles of community integration. Documents were originally published from approximately 1980 through 1998. References are grouped into the following topic areas: (1) philosophy and perspectives on community integration; (2) administrative issues; (3) services and supports for integration; (4) education in the regular classroom; (5) integrated employment, including services and supports; (6) recreation and leisure opportunities; (7) beyond paid services and supports; (8) personal narratives; (9) women with disabilities; (10) sexuality; (11) abuse and violence; (12) multiculturalism and diversity; and (13) disability studies. Also included are a list of publishers' addresses, a list of organizations concerned with community integration, and a title index. (DB)
- Published
- 1998
35. Faith Communities and Inclusion of People with Developmental Disabilities.
- Author
-
Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Inst. on Community Integration., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Hall, Mair, Lambert, Philip, Hall, Mair, Lambert, Philip, Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Inst. on Community Integration., and Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy.
- Abstract
This document presents summaries of a variety of resources concerned with the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in faith communities. Each listing usually provides bibliographic information, source and price information, and a summary or description. Following an introductory essay, the first section provides summaries of 43 articles, books, curricula, and videos. The next section describes three resources for L'Arche, an international federation of intentional and inclusive faith communities. The next three sections describe six newsletters, five mission and pastoral statements, and 16 organizations. Attached are reprints of the following articles: "A Rosh Hashanah Birthday" (W. C. Gaventa); "How the Religious Community Can Support Transition to Adulthood: A Parent's Perspective" (B. Hornstein); "Disability for the Religious" (P. J. Majik); "Frayed at the Edges: The Intertwined Threads of Life and Disability" (M. J. Owen); "The Wisdom of Human Vulnerability--Disability: The Tie Which Binds" (M. J. Owen); " Who Causes the Blind To See'? Disability and Quality of Religious Life" (A. Rose); and "The Masks of God" (A. Sobolewska). (DB)
- Published
- 1998
36. One Day at a Time: Changing a System To Realize a Dream.
- Author
-
Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Inst. on Community Integration., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., O'Brien, John, Browning, Ray, and O'Brien, Connie Lyle
- Abstract
This article on systems change focuses on the efforts of a mentally retarded man with cerebral palsy and his advocates to obtain the resources necessary for him to be able to leave a nursing home and live independently. First, the article identifies two kinds of change: change within the system's rules and changing the rules or the system itself. The specific issue is framed as a description of changes needed in a system which would pay for someone to live in a nursing home but not for the necessary personal assistance to live independently. The young man's testimony before the Georgia Department of Medical Assistance Hearings is included in full. Also included is the text of his request for assistance, which he distributed to anyone possibly able to help his cause. This effort resulted in over more than 100 people offering help and eventually a place of his own with the necessary support services. Lessons for systems change learned from this example are summarized and include the need to build a base group for systems change; learn the political processes for changing the system rules; find a question that challenges the beliefs that shape the system's rules; and always keep a human face on the issues. (DB)
- Published
- 1998
37. Financing Higher Standards in Public Education: The Importance of Accounting for Educational Costs. Policy Brief, No. 10.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs., Duncombe, William, and Yinger, John
- Abstract
This policy brief explains why performance focus and educational cost indexes must go hand in hand, discusses alternative methods for estimating educational cost indexes, and shows how these costs indexes can be incorporated into a performance-based state aid program. A shift to educational performance standards, whether these standards are targets or are embedded in a foundation aid program, can be neither fair nor effective unless it recognizes the variation in the cost of education. Using data from New York State, the brief shows that controlling for costs in the design of school aid formulas is crucial to enable central cities to reach educational adequacy standards. This paper uses an approach to educational cost indexes that selects performance indicators on statistical grounds. This approach determines which performance indicators are valued by voters, as shown by their correlation with property values and school spending. It then uses these indicators in an index of educational performance that is a weighted average of the statistically significant performance indicators in which the weights reflect the value voters place on each indicator. For New York, this approach leads to an index based on three performance indicators: (1) the average share of students above the standard reference point on third and sixth grade standardized tests for mathematics and reading; (2) the share of students who receive the demanding New York Regents diploma; and (3) the graduation rate. (Contains 2 figures, 11 endnotes, and 27 references.) (SLD)
- Published
- 1998
38. Creating Meaningful Daytimes: Community Building at Options for Individuals, Louisville, Kentucky.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Walker, Pam
- Abstract
This report on "Options for Individuals" is part of a series documenting innovative supports for community living for adults with severe disabilities. Options for Individuals, which began in 1984 in Kentucky, uses Medicaid waiver funding to support 29 people with severe and often multiple disabilities during the day. While the program is based at a facility, the agency has a long history of creative community-building efforts that they have used to get people involved in meaningful activities and relationships outside of the facility. In doing so, they have facilitated peoples involvement in paid and volunteer work, varied leisure interests, and social engagements. This report, based on a site visit in June 1997, documents the positive community-building efforts used by Options to create meaningful daytime opportunities and connections for the people they support. It describes key strategies Options uses to promote community participation and relationships, including recognition of the importance of place, active involvement in facilitating the development of relationships, focus on variety of peoples daytimes, use of an in-depth person-centered planning process, and long-term commitment to people. The experiences of three clients are highlighted. The report also discusses some of the challenges faced in relation to these efforts. (CR)
- Published
- 1998
39. Changing Priorities at Research Universities, 1991-1996. Based on: The National Study of Research Universities on the Balance between Research and Undergraduate Teaching (1992), by Peter J. Gray, Robert C. Froh, Robert M. Diammond.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center for Instructional Development., Diamond, Robert M., and Adam, Bronwyn E.
- Abstract
This report presents findings of a 1996-97 survey of 11 research and doctoral institutions to determine how faculty, department chairs, and academic deans perceive the balance between research and undergraduate teaching at their institutions. The institutions had responded to the same survey 5 years earlier as part of a larger study of 49 institutions. Major findings of this latest survey included: overall, a stronger support for a balance between teaching and research than in the earlier survey; a perception that institutions are placing greater importance on teaching than earlier; a decline in respondents reporting a strong personal emphasis on research; changing criteria in the selection of faculty and department chairs toward a greater emphasis on teaching; and differences among disciplines in perceptions about the appropriate balance between teaching and research. However, open-ended comments often noted that while institutional rhetoric had changed, policies and practices for promotions, tenure and merit pay continue to reward research over undergraduate teaching and that resources continue to be allocated disproportionately to research activities. Individual sections describe the study's background, survey development, responses of each group to key items, a comparison between self-perceptions and perceptions of others, other factors influencing perceptions, major academic areas/disciplines, and comments from respondents. Attachments provide detail on participating institutions and associations and the overall study's history. (DB)
- Published
- 1998
40. 'This Is Still a Work in Progress': Common Ground, Littleton, New Hampshire.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Hall, Mair, and Walker, Pam
- Abstract
This site-visit report describes Common Ground, a program located in New Hampshire that supports 52 people with developmental disabilities, including some with severe and multiple impairments, in a broad range of individualized, integrated daytime activities, including supported and competitive employment, self-employment, volunteer work, and the pursuit of recreational/leisure activities. The organization of Common Ground, its development, and the changes it undertook in order to provide individualized support are discussed. Three key areas of innovative practices and challenging dilemmas at Common Ground are reviewed, including agency change, self-determination, and valued community roles and membership. Lessons learned are that: (1) change is not a formula; (2) new agency roles mean relinquishing control; (3) new staff roles mean reliance on the community; (4) support for staff is key to successful change; (5) change involves trade-offs that may bring both advantages and disadvantages; (6) individualized funding is needed to promote self-determination; (7) self-employment opportunities are important; (8) advocacy/self-advocacy must be encouraged; (9) roles and relationships take time; (10) roles and relationships require shared community place and experiences; and (11) Common Ground only supports people for a limited part of their day. (CR)
- Published
- 1997
41. Linking People to the Global Networked Society. Evaluation of the Online at PA Libraries Project: Public Access to the Internet through Public Libraries.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Information Studies., McClure, Charles R., and Bertot, John Carlo
- Abstract
This report provides an evaluation of the Online at PA Libraries project which was initiated in the Fall of 1996 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Office of Commonwealth Libraries and the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit. The report documents that the following goals were accomplished: (1) provide public access to the Internet through Pennsylvania's public libraries; (2) provide library users with timely information for educational research, economic development, and recreational purposes; and (3) ensure that trained library staff are available to help the public find the information they need in an online environment. Key assessment questions were answered by the use of a range of data collection techniques including surveys of librarians and users, site visits, focus groups, interviews, and other techniques. From the viewpoint of project participants, the project was clearly successful. The list of various benefits and impacts that have come to the library, the users, and the community overall is significant and consistent across most libraries. The study concludes with a discussion of key issues raised by the Online at PA Libraries project and lessons that have been learned from this effort that can be incorporated into future efforts. Specific recommendations include building on the project with future projects, developing new roles for Pennsylvania libraries and librarians, and developing a statewide strategic planning effort to continue to take advantage of the evolving global networked environment for the benefit of Pennsylvania residents. The user questionnaire is appended. (Author/AEF)
- Published
- 1997
42. Materials on Self-Advocacy.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Zubal, Rachael, Shoultz, Bonnie, Walker, Pam, and Kennedy, Michael
- Abstract
This packet of materials focuses on the self-advocacy of individuals with disabilities. Part 1 includes: "Self-Advocacy: Speaking for Yourself" (Michael Kennedy and Patricia Killius), an article written by individuals with disabilities that discusses the importance of people with disabilities making their own decisions and having a say about the services they receive. Strategies for starting a self-advocacy group and the benefits of such a group are described. Part 2, "Resources on Self-Advocacy" (Rachel Zubal, Bonnie Shoultz, and Pam Walker), lists self-advocacy materials that are currently available. Included are resources on choice and self-determination in which the voices of self-advocates were included. Part 3 includes the following articles that all address the need for individuals with disabilities to advocate for themselves and the growth of the self-advocacy movement: "Self-Determination" (Michael Kennedy), "Thoughts about Self-Advocacy" (Michael Kennedy and Bonnie Shoultz), and "More Thoughts about Self-Advocacy: The Movement, The Group and the Individual" (Bonnie Shoultz). (CR)
- Published
- 1997
43. Women with Disabilities: Issues, Resources, Connections. Revised.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Traustadottir, Rannveig, and Harris, Perri
- Abstract
The materials compiled into this information package focus on women and girls with disabilities and the specific issues they face in society. Part 1 contains the overview article "Obstacles to Equality: The Double Discrimination of Women with Disabilities" (Rannveig Traustadottir), which reviews the existing literature on women with disabilities and compares how women with disabilities fare in the traditional female sphere of reproduction and nurturing, education, and employment as compared to women without disabilities and men with disabilities. Part 2 is an annotated listing of resources written by and/or about women and girls with disabilities. Subjects in this section include general issues, life histories, education, employment and rehabilitation, health issues, women and care, motherhood and reproductive rights, sexuality, sexual abuse, and fiction. Part 3 provides information on teaching materials about women and girls with disabilities. This part also lists other practical materials, such as a manual for accessibility. Part 4 provides information about support groups for women and girls with disabilities and how to start networking projects. This section also contains information about women's periodicals and organizations which include women with disabilities. Part 5 provides information about women and disability that is available on the Internet. (CR)
- Published
- 1997
44. Information Package on Managed Care and Long-Term Supports for People with Developmental Disabilities.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy.
- Abstract
This collection of papers on managed care and long-term supports for people with developmental disabilities includes a range of reprinted articles and resource materials that provide different kinds of information and opinions on the impact of managed care. Articles include: "A Position Statement on Managed Care and Long-Term Supports in Developmental Disabilities" (Center on Human Policy at Syracuse University and others), summarizing some of the principles and values that should underlie managed care if and when it is implemented; "Keeping the Faith: System Change, Managed Care and Long-Term Supports for People with Developmental Disabilities" (National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, Inc.); "Overview and Implications of Medicaid Managed Care for People with Developmental Disabilities" and "Technical Elements, Demonstration Projects, and Fiscal Models in Medicaid Managed Care for People with Developmental Disabilities" (Theodore A. Kastner, Kevin K. Walsh, and Teri Criscione); and "Beware the Managed Health-Care Companies" (John Ashbaugh and Gary Smith), which provides a cautionary note on the managed care system. The final series of articles do not directly deal with long-term development disability services, but raise concerns from the broader disability rights community and include: "McManaging Your Health" (Billy Golfus and Wendy Brower); "Managed to Death" (Josie Byzek); and "Getting Up to Speed". Includes a list of resource organizations which can be contacted for additional and updated information on the status of managed care. (Most articles contain references.) (CR)
- Published
- 1997
45. Not Just a Place To Live: Building Community in Toronto.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Walker, Pam, and O'Connor, Susan
- Abstract
This case study describes the recent development of two housing co-ops "Courtyard" and "CHORD," in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) that are inclusive of people with disabilities, that is, the co-ops were developed by people with disabilities, their families, and friends. Focus is on components utilized in the planning and development of the co-ops by their umbrella organization, Neighbors Allied for Better Opportunities in Residential Support (NABORS). The report is based on a site visit in April 1994 to the first of the co-ops, open for 10 months at that time. Background information notes the importance of the involvement of people with disabilities, parents, and advocates, and the value of the co-op as an intentional community, not just a housing co-op. A section on co-op organization describes the two co-op housing complexes and the support organization, including their boards of directors, a vision statement, co-op subsidies, membership issues, and allocation of government aid. A statement of principles addresses issues of community, natural social support, membership participation, self-determination, and nondiscrimination. Another section provides quotes from personnel involved in the development of intentional community. The study concludes with a statement emphasizing the importance of organizational clarity, intentional community, full participation for everyone, and relationships. (DB)
- Published
- 1997
46. A Guide to High Quality Direct Service Personnel Training Resources. Second Edition.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Research and Training Center on Residential Services and Community Living.
- Abstract
This guide evaluates more than 130 training curricula that were published or completed in or after 1987 and are targeted to training direct service staff or trainers of direct service staff working with people with developmental disabilities. The reviews are organized alphabetically by publisher. Topics and issues that were used to categorize the content of each training curricula include: (1) administration/management issues; (2) case management/service coordination; (3) challenging behavior; (4) community integration and participation; (5) early intervention; (6) educational issues; (7) employment/adult day services; (8) family supports; (9) health care, safety, and emergency issues; (10) human sexuality; (11) individual assessment; (12) intervention/treatment programming; (13) introduction to developmental disabilities; (14) legal issues, self-advocacy, and individual rights; (15) medical issues; (16) personal care special needs; (17) physical special needs; (18) public policy/planning; (19) residential services; (20) sensory and communication needs; (21) services to person who are elderly; (22) staff development issues; (23) and transitions from school to adult life. Each review contains information on the curricula's target audience, structure and content, strengths and weaknesses, topics and issues, settings, instructional formats, instructional modes, and overall rating.(CR)
- Published
- 1997
47. Implementing School-to-Work in Rural Counties: A Statewide Survey Research Study for the Rural Educational Advisory Committee.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Education. and Sullivan Educational Associates, Delmar, NY.
- Abstract
Successful School-to-Work (STW) practices and implementation needs were examined in New York's 401 rural school districts. A short survey was completed by administrators in 128 districts. Preliminary findings from the survey were discussed at four community roundtables attended by 95 representatives of rural school districts and their partners. A nomination form was distributed widely to identify promising practices, and site visits were conducted in four nominated districts. The findings are presented around the following themes: (1) greater emphasis was on STW issues among administrators than among parents, teachers, or the business community; (2) great disparities existed among rural schools in the involvement of teachers and parents in STW activities; (3) the need for increased involvement of businesses and employers was apparent; (4) most rural schools were only in the planning or early stages of implementation; (5) there was limited information on model programs; (6) problems involving long distances to business sites and lack of student transportation existed; and (7) there were needs for targeted STW funding at the district level and for state support and legislation recognizing the distinct challenges of rural districts. Promising practices are described in each of these areas, and recommendations are listed based on the same themes. Two approaches are outlined for providing technical assistance to rural STW programs. (SV)
- Published
- 1997
48. Community Integration Policy and Practice Abstracts, Third Edition.
- Author
-
Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Inst. on Community Integration., Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Searl, Julia, and Harris, Perri
- Abstract
This document is a compilation of 166 abstracts of journal articles relevant to community integration for people with developmental disabilities. Articles were published from 1988 through 1997 and were selected for inclusion based on their relevance to policy and practice with research articles included if they had a strong applied emphasis. Abstracts are grouped under the following topics: abuse, communication--social relationships, community and supported living, criminal justice, education--inclusion, education--policies, employment, facilitated communication, families, funding, health care, institutional closure, leisure, multicultural issues, national trends, parents with disabilities, philosophy/ideology, policy, quality assurance, reproductive issues, self-determination, sexuality, social relationships, and transition to adulthood. (DB)
- Published
- 1997
49. Know Your Rights! Working and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy., Hall, Mair, and Harris, Perri
- Abstract
This pamphlet for people with disabilities provides basic information on the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that concern protection from discrimination in employment. Using simple language, the pamphlet provides the following information: what the ADA is, who the ADA is for, who the ADA is not for, how the ADA can help the individual with a disability, definitions of terms, what is meant by "working conditions," who a "qualified worker" is, what is meant by "essential functions," what is meant by "reasonable accommodation," what is meant by "undue hardship," the individual's rights when applying for a job, the individual's rights after being hired but before starting working, the individual's rights after starting to work, ideas for reasonable accommodations, the individual's rights regarding wages and benefits, the individual's rights if fired, what to do if the individual thinks he/she is being discriminated against, the importance of making a record of any possible discrimination, the ADA information hotline, and the procedure for complaining to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Attached are summaries of eight relevant court cases and a list of suggested resources. (Contains 16 references.) (DB)
- Published
- 1997
50. Standing with People in Support, Not Control: Training toward Self-Reliance, Inc. Sacramento, CA.
- Author
-
Syracuse Univ., NY. Center on Human Policy. and Walker, Pam
- Abstract
This report describes a program designed to increase opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to lead good lives in places of their own, strengthen their communities, and enjoy a genuine sense of self-worth. In addition to offering independent services, the Training Toward Self-Reliance (TTSR) program staff have increased their capacity and commitment to support people with multiple disabilities or those who need more intensive levels of support than those typically offered through independent living services. Services provided include helping people get their own homes or apartments, helping people arrange and manage personal assistance and other in-home supports, and assisting people to develop social relationships and networks. Expertise has been developed in supporting parents who themselves have disabilities, supporting adults with developmental disabilities to manage their own personal assistance services, and supporting people with disabilities whose lives have been substantially affected by social problems associated with poverty, substance abuse, and interpersonal turmoil. The first section of the report describes supports provided by TTSR to a few individuals who are representative of many others supported by the agency. The second section discusses key values that determine agency response and strategies that TTSR uses to provide services that support, not control, individuals with developmental disabilities. (CR)
- Published
- 1997
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