In resource poor settings innovative and bottom-up approaches are required to provide services to people with with disabilities. In this context, the present paper explains a community-based model of manpower development and coordination of services for people with intellectual disabilities in unified state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Women with…

Background: There is increasing recognition of the impact that dementia has upon swallowing and at mealtimes, and the significant effect this can have on people with dementia's health and well-being. However, there remains a paucity of evidence for assessment and intervention practices for dysphagia and mealtime difficulties. Furthermore, there is…

The purpose of this exploratory research is to document the level of personal assistance support provided to students with severe physical disabilities by disability support services in higher education institutions across the United States. A national survey was conducted of members of the Association of Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)…

Rehabilitation efforts for children with congenital dual sensory impairments, or deafblindness, have a long-standing history. Rehabilitation for older people with acquired dual impairments has recently moved to center stage because of the increasing number of clients who require such services (Saunders & Echt, 2007). For both these groups of…

The Working Alliance, consisting of building bonds, establishing goals, and developing tasks, has been deemed the cornerstone of helping professions, and has been found to significantly and reliably predict client outcomes. The importance of client characteristics and perceptions of working alliance has been established in the literature. Less is…

Early intervention (EI) for children with physical disabilities is advocated as a means of enhancing child outcomes and family functioning. The issues confronted by service providers in delivering this support have received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of frontline EI staff…

Students with disabilities and special needs have faced challenges in accessing educational content, and in taking traditional pen-and-paper tests. How might technology improve the process, while making statewide tests truly accessible to all students? NimbleTools is the first computer-based test delivery system that incorporates principles of…

Nowadays knowledge and communication technologies are developing rapidly and changing people's lives. With the help of the developing technologies, people can access knowledge independent of time and place and distance education technologies offer handicapped students a range of opportunities in order that they may access a better level of…

This article presents a Relational Goal-Oriented Model of Service Delivery to Children with physical or mental health difficulties and their families. This research-informed and practice-relevant model provides a broad understanding of what effective service provision entails and requires from practitioners and service organizations. The model…

Presents suggestions for severity of disability criteria and closure criteria for severely disabled clients being served by an independent living rehabilitation center. Suggestions are founded on experience from a three-year-old project. Measurements of physical, psychosocial, and environmental factors for inclusion in the two sets of criteria are…

This reprint of a journal article focuses on the use of computers and other personal assistive devices by disabled persons. Topics covered include: a perspective on the use of advanced technology; distinction between technological appliances which provide benefits to the individual independent of the individual's skill level, versus tools which…

The document describes a model for an assistive device center that can provide a cost effective, coordinated delivery system to assure that handicapped students who need adaptive aids and equipment have access to them and are trained in their most efficient use. The model is explained in terms of purposes and objectives, personnel, location and…

Defines handicapism "as a set of assumptions and practices that promote the differential and unequal treatment of people because of apparent or assumed physical, mental, or behavioral differences.""Demonstrates how handicapism manifests itself in personal interaction, in the organizational structure of the larger society, and in human service…

One of the articles from a special topic issue on adjustment services for the severely handicapped. Topics cover adjustment services for the blind, a historical view of the private and public rehabilitation movements (including federal legislation), and settings, populations, and goals. Concludes that standard systems for providing services have…

Two papers examine vocational training, special education, and government services for the disabled in the Netherlands. Originally presented at a convention poster session of the 16th World Congress of Rehabilitation International, the first paper focuses on the national institute at Werkenrode which provides a residential practice-based education…