The population of the aging lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is significant and growing rapidly. As LGBT individuals age and begin to move into healthcare communities, they are fearful of apathy, discrimination, and abuse by healthcare providers and other residents. Person-centered cultural competence and sensitivity among…

Six young people from the Grampians region of Victoria who had serious mental illnesses took part in a creative arts project that taught them filmmaking skills and techniques over a five-week period. The project was evaluated using a mixed-method approach. Statistically significant improvements were found in quality of life and social…

This article presents results from a mixed-method evaluation of a structured cooking and gardening program in Australian primary schools, focusing on program impacts on the social and learning environment of the school. In particular, we address the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective of providing a pleasurable experience that has…

This paper presents methodology and findings from three product efficacy studies that verify the quality of life benefits resulting from prior research, development, and transfer activities. The paper then discusses key lessons learned with implications for product evaluation practice. The studies assessed the quality of three assistive technology…

Raising a child with disabilities impacts the ability of parents to participate in life situations. This paper describes the development of a new instrument, Life Participation for Parents, to measure outcomes of pediatric therapy on parental participation. Items were reviewed by six occupational therapists with experience in pediatrics and…

The author, an adult educator, evaluates the Tanzanian literacy campaign in terms of the personal and qualitative effects of literacy on eight representative new literates through the participants' own perceptions, using the anthropocentric approach based on the dialog method. (MF)

Purpose: Bringing state-subsidized assisted living services (ALS) into congregate housing (CH) is a strategy for reducing rates of nursing home placement. This article discusses CH residents' reactions as a new ALS program was introduced in their housing, and it provides recommendations for others who are considering the implementation of similar…

A series of individual and small-group interviews on self determination for individuals with disabilities was conducted as part of the Vermont Self-Determination Project, a 3-year project to implement a statewide system change designed to allow people with developmental disabilities to have control and choice in their lives. The interviews were…

This case study used individualized communication for interviewing people with intellectual disability in outcome and quality of life research. Researchers developed a flexible communication strategy for involving service users, drawing on core, local and individual vocabularies and using signs, graphic symbols and photographs to supplement spoken…

This study examined the reliability of an instrument used to evaluate services for people with developmental disabilities. Seven types of variables were analyzed: demographic data, residential arrangements, medical needs, adaptive behavior, severity of challenging behavior, frequency of challenging behavior, and the perception that disabled…

An evaluation was conducted of an educational planning process for inclusive education called COACH (Choosing Options and Accommodations for Children), which was used with 30 elementary and secondary students who are deaf-blind. Interviews with 72 teachers, parents, and staff addressed effects on relationships between parents and professionals and…

This commentary on a previous article that demonstrates three ways of analyzing qualitative interview data (content, cultural models, and narrative analyses), discusses the importance of focusing on cultural models of quality of life in assessing early intervention programs, forging partnerships between families and researchers, and linking…

Three projects on Elderly Abuse were established in 1980 to demonstrate improved mechanisms for reporting, investigating, treating, and preventing abuse and neglect of the elderly. A common framework for evaluation was created which allowed for comparisons and contrasts among the three projects. The evaluation objectives were: (1) to determine the…