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Individuals with disabilities may not be aware of their communicative, academic, social, and/or vocational needs. Over the last 20 years, self-advocacy has been referred to as a goal for education, a civil rights movement, and a component of self-determination (Test, Fowler, Wood, Brewer, & Eddy, 2005). As a measurable skill, self-advocacy can be specifically defined as a skill that helps “individuals communicate their needs and stand up for their own interests and rights” (Yuan, 1994, p. 305). Individuals diagnosed with a variety of disabilities (learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, language disorders, etc.) experience difficulty in achieving success in situations where they are required to communicate their needs and stand up for their rights. Test et al. (2005) documented 25 definitions of self-advocacy that were published between 1977 and 2002. The most recent definition focused on self-advocacy in the realm of social change and civil rights; the enablement of individuals with disabilities to make decisions, speak for themselves, and stand up for their rights.

This chapter discusses challenges faced by older adult health-care consumers in obtaining access to responsive care from physicians relevant to a broad spectrum of health issues ranging from prevention to chronic illness and end-of-life care. Based on our prior research with community-dwelling elders (E. Kahana & B. Kahana, 2003, 2010), we propose a conceptual model of consumer self-advocacy for better access to effective health care in late life. We argue that older adults who are well informed and confident health-care partners and who involve their physicians in active dialogue will experience better care, and will be more satisfied with their health care. We present findings from our studies of cancer prevention and from our research focused on end-of-life care relevant to patient self-advocacy. We also discuss the role of educational interventions and of patient empowerment in facilitating greater access to responsive health communication and health care, particularly among elders who are disadvantaged and who have low health literacy.

While protests are important for communal and “in the moment” communication, we rely on writing when we want to think more deeply and express concerns and issues in our lives and the lives of others. Writing teachers have a duty to instill in students the impact writing can have on influencing society and its issues. In this chapter, the authors argue for and demonstrate how active citizenship can be encouraged and taught through writing. Inspired by one of the author’s negative police interactions, the authors were compelled to push beyond the protest and begin instructing students in active citizenship through the rhetorical practice of writing. Authors were curious to know how a unit on advocacy writing would influence students’ understandings of using writing to solve social problems. This led to the research question examining how viable an advocacy unit for a first-year writing class is with influencing students’ perceptions of using their voices to advocate for self and for others. To study this question the authors conducted a qualitative classroom inquiry experiment where they collected a variety of data. They examined pre- and post-reflections on advocacy/active citizenship, self-advocacy writing samples, and community advocacy writing samples. Through analysis of these artifacts, this chapter describes how the sequence of writing assignments affected students’ perceptions of themselves as active citizens and the power they have to advocate for change through writing.

Purpose: This chapter proposes narrative allyship across ability as a practice in which nondisabled researchers work with disabled nonresearchers to co-construct a process that centers and acts on the knowledge contained in and expressed by the lived experience of the disabled nonresearchers. This chapter situates narrative allyship across ability in the landscape of other participatory research practices, with a particular focus on oral history as a social justice praxis.

Approach: In order to explore the potential of this practice, the author outlines and reflects on both the methodology of her oral history graduate thesis work, a narrative project with self-advocates with Down syndrome, and includes and analyzes reflections about narrative allyship from a self-advocate with Down syndrome.

Findings: The author proposes three guiding principles for research as narrative allyship across ability, namely that such research further the interests of narrators as the narrators define them, optimize the autonomy of narrators, and tell stories with, instead of about, narrators.

Implications: This chapter suggests the promise of research praxis as a form of allyship: redressing inequality by addressing power, acknowledging expertise in subjugated knowledges, and connecting research practices to desires for social change or political outcomes. The author models methods by which others might include in their research narrative work across ability and demonstrates the particular value of knowledge produced when researchers attend to the lived expertise of those with disabilities. The practice of narrative allyship across ability has the potential to bring a wide range of experiences and modes of expression into the domains of research, history, policy, and culture that would otherwise exclude them.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest-growing disability in the US; despite years of federal policy aimed at enhancing employment outcomes for this population, these outcomes remain limited. Little is known about the allyship strategies used to support job seekers with ASD to communicate with potential employers. The current study assesses self-advocates with ASD and supporters of people with ASD (e.g., family members, caregivers, employment specialists, vocational rehabilitation professionals) about the advocacy strategies they have implemented during the hiring process to enhance communication with employers. Study participants rated the effectiveness of the strategies that others may use, as well as the strategies they have used when seeking employment for an open position. Finally, a variety of psychological variables (e.g., self-determination, self-advocacy, global self-esteem, mentorship, incivility) were measured that are suspected to influence the use of these strategies in seeking employment. Findings inform effective support and advocacy strategies as well as ways that varying psychological variables predict the use of these strategies, informing personalization of interventions and supports for self-advocates and allies.

Purpose: Due to the developmental nature of autism, which is often diagnosed in preschool or elementary school-aged children, non-autistic parents of autistic children typically play a prominent role in autism advocacy. However, as autistic children become adults and adult diagnoses of autism continue to rise, autistic adults have played a more prominent role in advocacy. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the histories of adult and non-autistic parent advocacy in the United States and to examine the points of divergence and convergence.

Approach: Because of their different perspectives and experiences, advocacy by autistic adults and non-autistic parents can have distinctive goals and conflicting priorities. Therefore, the approach we take in the current chapter is a collaboration between an autistic adult and a non-autistic parent, both of whom are research scholars.

Findings: The authors explore the divergence of goals and discourse between autistic self-advocates and non-autistic parent advocates and offer three principles for building future alliances to bridge the divide between autistic adults and non-autistic parents.

Implications: The chapter ends with optimism that US national priorities can bridge previous gulfs, creating space for autistic adult and non-autistic parent advocates to work together in establishing policies and practices that improve life for autistic people and their families and communities.

Although improving, students with learning disabilities (LD) still do not experience positive postsecondary outcomes at the same rate as their nondisabled peers. Research indicates that inclusion in the general education classroom for core content courses correlates to better outcomes; however, the large amount of content to be covered in these courses makes it difficult to deliver targeted transition services, such as instruction in self-determination skills, in these settings. In this chapter, we briefly summarize the research on transition services for students with LD and then provide examples of opportunities for instruction and practice of self-determination skills in the general education classroom.

The purpose of this chapter is to focus on increasing the participation of students with language-based learning disabilities (LLD) in postsecondary transition planning and how the interprofessional teams that include a speech-language pathologist may work together to integrate and apply language, literacy, and related self-determinism goals in the secondary school curriculum. As students with LLD enter secondary school, the provision of needed language-literacy intervention services drastically declines, although these students often require these services to facilitate their postsecondary success. Secondary students are expected to read, write, and think at more complex levels than ever before to meet postgraduation workforce demands. The inclusion of self-determination strategies is found to be related to positive post-school outcomes and can be readily integrated into transition planning. The integration of SLPs into the interprofessional team may ideally support secondary school student language-literacy needs in transition planning by using self-determination strategies to help access the curriculum and experience postsecondary success.

This chapter provides evidence-based supports for special education transition services for students with autism. Visual supports, video modeling, and other related strategies used in the transition from school to adult living are included. Discussion includes using evidence-based transition strategies with students who have autism, fostering self-determination in students with autism during the transition process, and clear examples of how technology can support the transition process. Practitioners may combine the transition supports presented in this chapter because each support addresses more than one characteristic or need.

Inclusion Europe, the European movement of people with intellectual disabilities and their families, shared what people with intellectual disabilities and their families faced during the COVID-19 crisis. Collecting information showed people with intellectual disabilities were segregated and discriminated against. The pandemic intensified and magnified the segregation and discrimination of people with intellectual disabilities, shedding light on their exclusion. Many human rights were violated. Therefore, such testimonies should encourage governments and institutions to urgently design a society that includes people with intellectual disabilities and their families.