The paper outlines the "sociology of acceptance" as a theoretical framework for understanding relationships between people with mental retardation and typical people. Sociocultural perspectives on deviance are reviewed and their contribution to the study of mental retardation is considered. The paper next examines the nature of accepting…

This response to previous symposium papers (EC 604 155-161) concerning regulations and quality assurance in Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) sees regulations as the bureaucratization of values, identifies paradoxes implicit in regulatory controls, and urges reform of the current developmental disability service…

This article reviews policy developments in deinstitutionalization and community inclusion in North America, specifically the United States. It begins with a critique of the continuum concept and the associated principle of the least restrictive environment. Past and current controversies surrounding deinstitutionalization are then examined.…

The report examines the status of community integration for people with the most severe disabilities. Information is drawn from literature reviews, telephone surveys of over 50 programs nationwide, and visits to 5 community service systems in 4 states. An initial section outlines basic principles for community integration, followed by a review and…

The report contains the findings and recommendations of an evaluation of the Community Training Home program operated by the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation. The section on background information provides details of the history of the program which currently provides foster care services for 478 people with mental retardation of which…

The site visit report describes community living programs for persons with severe disabilities in the Wisconsin counties of Dane, LaCrosse, and Columbia. The visit attempted to identify and document promising practices through interviews with administrators, officials and staff; observations of three foster homes, two small group homes, and two…

This report, one of series of reports describing innovative practices in integrating people with disabilities into community life, presents findings and recommendations of a review of the "Supported Housing Demonstration Project", which provides supportive community living services to approximately 32 people with severe physical…

This paper presents an example of "optimistic research," a qualitative approach which focuses on positive interventions helpful to practitioners, in this case an examination of programs successfully integrating people with severe disabilities. The study evaluated 40 programs through site visits which focus on observation, interviews, and…