OBJECTIVE: This self-directed learning module highlights the equipment and assistive technology needs of children and youth with disabilities. This article specifically focuses on preparing families and patients for equipment transitions that occur over the course of childhood and adolescence including progressing from stroller to wheelchair to powerchair, as well as job training and use of […]
Abstract Topics: Community Integration
Social integration in employment settings: application of intergroup contact theory.
This study used a survey of 106 employment specialists to test the ability of intergroup contact theory to explain social integration outcomes of employees with disabilities. Contact theory suggests that coworkers are more accepting of employees with disabilities if they have sufficient opportunities to interact with them, equal status and interdependent working relationships, and supervisors […]
Volunteerism among homeless persons with developmental disabilities.
People with developmental disabilities have been historically excluded from mainstream society. Using the strength-based perspective, volunteerism was explored among homeless persons with self-reported developmental disabilities. It was hypothesized that volunteerism would be associated with indicators of healthy community integration. This would include volunteerism associated with unemployment due to disposable time and desire to gain job-related […]
Community-based neuropsychological rehabilitation in the cosmopolitan setting.
In the developed, urban world, professional neuropsychological rehabilitation services have increasingly tried to move into the community to facilitate community integration, acceptance of rehabilitation, acceptance of the person with disabilities in the community, and the generalisation of cognitive, emotional, and social skills. This promising trend has only partially realised its goals. In the developing, rural […]
Increasing community integration and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities.
Historically residential facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities have served the role of segregation and congregation with no real focus on integration into the community. More recently the focus has been to get people out of residential institutions and into community-based living settings. This work examines an approach to changing the systems and culture at […]
Supported education for adults with psychiatric disabilities: effectiveness of an occupational therapy program.
OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the effectiveness of a supported education program for adults with psychiatric disabilities. METHOD: Thirty-eight adults with psychiatric disabilities were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 21) that received supported education services or to a control group (n = 17) that received treatment as usual. RESULTS: We found a statistically […]
Perceptions and practices of adapted physical educators on the teaching of social skills.
The purpose of this study was to determine adapted physical educators’ perceptions and practices about teaching social skills to students with disabilities. A questionnaire based on Bandura’s social learning theory concept of modeling was developed and mailed to an entire frame of 426 adapted physical education teachers in the state of Ohio. Face and content […]
Conceptualizing community: a comparison of neighborhood characteristics of supportive housing for persons with psychiatric and developmental disabilities.
Housing and services for persons with developmental disabilities (DD) have been shaped by the normalization approach, a commitment to full integration within the general community. In contrast, housing and services for persons with psychiatric disabilities (PD) have had various and sometimes conflicting goals, including provision of custodial care, promotion of therapeutic community, and community integration. […]
Development of a measure of sense of community for individuals with serious mental illness residing in community settings.
The psychological sense of community is one of the most commonly investigated constructs in community psychology. Sense of community may be particularly important for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) because they often face societal barriers to participation in community living, including stigma and discrimination. To date, no published studies have investigated the psychometric qualities […]
Psychosocial impact of participation in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and Winter Sports Clinic.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of individuals who participate in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) and the Winter Sports Clinic (WSC) for veterans with disabilities. In addition, it was of interest to determine how these events had impacted their lives. METHOD: Participants were recruited at the 20th Winter […]