For many people, particularly those with significant intellectual and communication disabilities, community access has not led to community acceptance or integration. While uniquely-abled individuals are present in local neighborhoods and businesses, they continue to be viewed as "outsiders" and are often are met with avoidance, fear, or pity.…

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…

There is very little research that directly specifies what programs can do to facilitate positive adolescent development, or how to tailor these programs to the individual needs of adolescents. However, there is a broad base of knowledge about how development occurs that can be drawn upon. Research demonstrates that certain features of the…

Developed as part of a project to integrate youth with disabilities into regular recreational and leisure activities, this report focuses on the role of the community leisure facilitator (CLF), defined as a professional, friend, family member, or volunteer who assists individuals with disabilities to enjoy the same leisure pursuits as other…

These two newsletter issues focus on training strategies for developing more inclusive programs for children with disabilities and for developing collaborative programs. An interview with Dr. Barbara Wolfe addresses successful inservice teacher training strategies. Additional information in the first issue includes guidelines for empowering…

Developed as part of a project to integrate youth with disabilities into regular recreational and leisure activities, this report attempted to identify several programs and specific types of leisure activities that children, adolescents, and young adults with and without disabilities can enjoy together regardless of skill level. Case studies are…

This article describes development of a collaboration between early intervention service providers and children's librarians to address parental needs for information, referral, and support; provision of inclusion and socialization opportunities for infants and toddlers in local community libraries; and strategies for delivering early intervention…