Youth sports were created as opportunities for children to play, be active, and begin learning how to become better or more successful at a given sport. Unfortunately for many children with disabilities they may not get the same opportunities that are available to other children. There are a number of barriers that may inhibit children with…

Inclusive community recreation is an optimal environment for the development of recreation and sports skills and social relationships between people with and without disabilities. Although we know much about best practices for inclusion, little systemic change in recreation agencies has transpired. Diffusion of Innovation Theory is proposed as a…

The American disability service system is predicated on underlying assumptions and beliefs which are dominant in the majority culture. Consequently, minority families, such as families from India, living in America sometimes experience dissonance with respect to the services provided to their family due to their varying cultural values. As such,…

The author discusses Randy Vick's analysis of studio-based programs in the United States and Europe for artists with disabilities. The disability studio, advocates the writer, is generally a grassroots, ad-hoc creation, staffed by self-taught practitioners who operate seemingly unaware that the operation of studio programs for artists with…

Reports such as this typically begin with a statistic designed to highlight a problem. The girls and boys to whom this edition of "The State of the World's Children" is dedicated are not problems. Rather, each is a sister, brother or friend who has a favourite dish, song or game; a daughter or son with dreams and the desire to fulfil…

Service-learning has become a popular method for connecting the theory taught in undergraduate methods courses with real-world practice in the field while also promoting volunteerism. It exposes undergraduates to relevant learning experiences and provides them with an opportunity to apply their skills in the service of others who are in need. One…

A service-learning component was embedded as the centerpiece in the Culture of Disability Across the Lifespan course, designed for students' exploration of issues related to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society. Participants included 19 university freshmen, 6 representatives of community agencies, and 3 consumers…

This survey research compares the structure and practices of 7 community studio art programs for artists with disabilities in Europe to 8 studio art therapy programs in the United States. Art therapy and disability arts literature was reviewed to establish a theoretical context for this project. A survey research method was used, with statistical…

Informal science education (ISE) experiences can provide powerful opportunities for people with disabilities to experience and learn about science. When designed to be inclusive, such experiences can lead people with disabilities to feel competent and empowered as science learners, generate excitement and enthusiasm for science, and be equitable…

Sixteen Minnesota families with children with disabilities participated in a 2-year interview study of their care experiences. Findings show that families developed a network of care providers, struggled to pay additional costs for care, were not informed of community services and programs, and believed that their children received adequate child…

This summer Chris Wardley, Chair of Access to Community Education (ACE), a small charity run by and for disabled people in Torbay, wrote to Gordon Brown. She asked him whether his mission to "fulfil the potential and realise the talents of all people" was based solely on economic goals or whether everyone, including disabled people,…

Nearly four decades have passed since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensured access to public education for students with disabilities in the United States. During the years following its introduction, there was a growing recognition that helping students, especially students with disabilities, in their transitions from…

Located in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, Fort Lewis is the home of the highest per capita exceptional family member population in the Army. Ideally located on the Northwest coast of Washington State, Fort Lewis is home to the Strykers and First Brigade. Combined with its close proximity to McChord Air Force Base, the installation is ideally suited to…

The sixth of nine volumes (EC 114 401-409) contains nine newsletters and sample information materials from the National Institute on New Models for Community Recreation and Leisure Programs for Handicapped Children and Youth. Newsletters focus on regional meetings and issues such as the recreation implications of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All…

L'Arche is an international movement to create communities in which disabled persons are included. Through a series of personal interviews, an autobiographical account is presented illustrating some of the salient features of living in a L'Arche community from a handicapped person's perspective. (Author/DB)