Recreational arts are significant in the fostering of an inclusive, diverse, and pluralistic society, particularly in an era of mass global migration. Community-based arts activities can provide a sense of solidarity with, and significance within, the new societies that migrants inhabit. A sense of belonging is a culturally complex understanding…

With the unprecedented worldwide refugee crisis, to what extent can music play a role in welcoming? In particular, how does choral music have a role in mobilising communities, generating intercultural understanding, and lifting some of the barriers that confront refugees and asylum seekers? How can such activity be seen as a benefit to the…

This article explores the effects of activities in Men's Sheds on elderly women. Specifically, it investigates the opportunities that are made available for women when their husband/partner becomes active in the Men's Shed movement; focussing on 'empowerment', 'gender identity' and 'well-being'. Five focus group interviews and eight individual…

Although research on minority youth has established the value of coethnic spaces for safe ethnic identity exploration, research has seldom examined how youth in these spaces draw ethnic boundaries or offered appropriate frameworks addressing boundary-setting. This study uses Berry's acculturation framework to explore ethnic boundary-setting within…

Social inclusion is an important factor in promoting optimum health and wellness for older adults. Community-engaged arts (CEA) have been promoted as a means to support social inclusion for this population, but little empirical evidence has been reported. The objective of this study was to explore the role of a CEA program in the social inclusion…

Trilhos Alternativos (Alternative Paths) is a community-based program that aims to integrate African-Portuguese urban youth from low-income families into Portuguese society. This article describes the first year of the program and presents formative data about effectiveness of the program. The motivation system seems to be an indirect variable…

This study follows the concerns and stresses of four Australian people with mental retardation for five months as they moved out into a community-based supported accommodation. The transition was seen as a positive event which lowered stress, however, other issues gradually re-emerged and their perceived stress level soon rose again. (Author/CR)

The booklet describes the goal of the Canadian Association for Community Living that all Canadian citizens with mental retardation will, by the year 2000, be part of families and communities with a voice in decisions affecting their lives. The history of the association since the 1950's is briefly reviewed and remaining obstacles to the longterm…

The study interviewed 73 Australian young people with a range of disabilities who had completed their school program in 1985. Subjects expressed their ideas concerning successful transition from school to adult life including the need for a planned transition process, a job-related school curriculum, and structured procedures to facilitate…

This article reports on part one of a three-part survey of provision for 3,084 pupils aged 14 and older in England and Wales who have profound learning difficulties. Results found the students have few opportunities to participate in community life as adults despite the overlapping legal responsibilities of multiple agencies. (Contains…

This collection of over 30 papers presents the view that all persons should be equally valued, provided equal opportunities, viewed as unique individuals, and be exposed to and learn from and about people with diverse characteristics. The papers offer insight into the process of moving forward to achieve both equity and excellence for all Canadian…

A comparison of 14 Australian adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities and 13 typical adolescents found no significant differences between the groups on community usage and lifestyle patterns. The discussion promotes the inclusion of community factors when investigating community integration of adolescents with a disability. (Contains…

This report describes the development of a community-based service for the implementation of augmentative and alternative communication strategies with regard to children with severe disabilities in South Africa. The intervention process was developed by the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication of the University of Pretoria. The…

This booklet addresses issues concerning community-based rehabilitation (CBR) services for people with mental handicaps, especially in Africa. The first section explains CBR services, with subsections on overcoming exclusion, a definition, normalization and community participation, family participation, CBR and mental handicap projects in Africa,…

The article reports on the first phase of a study to locate Hong Kong residents who are both elderly and mentally handicapped. Of the 24 elderly mentally handicapped people located, the majority had well-developed self-help skills, but most had few social contacts and participated minimally in community activities. (Author/DB)