The empowerment of individuals with disabilities has resulted in a corresponding disempowerment of service professionals. These professionals need the freedom to be diligent and effective in their work; they need opportunities to be creative, to try out new ideas, and perhaps to fail, rather than be buried under excessively burdensome restrictions…

A scholar on legal ethics responds to criticism that his views on legal advocacy are morally neutral, arguing that his approach is client centered, emphasizing the lawyer's role in enhancing the client's autonomy as a free person in a free society. He argues that the lawyer's autonomy must be respected. (MSE)

This article describes how persons with disabilities can be given more control over supported employment services and, thus, their work experiences. Consumer empower issues are examined from various aspects of service delivery (e.g., preferences for training methods) and types of problems. Illustrative case examples show the positive effects of…

A British Columbia survey of 45 intermediate care residents and 45 nurses found significant differences between residents' and staff perceptions of the importance of activities and residents' level of choice. Staff members' erroneous assumptions may result in procedures that restrict residents' choice of activities. (SK)

Proposes alternative, empowering view of empowerment as a paradigm that increases behavior potential of people, both individually and in organizations. Behavior potential is defined as totality of behaviors available to a person. It is argued that an individual is empowered in possessing a repertoire of behaviors and in being able to express and…

Examined data from 809 Illinois residents surveyed in 1985. Found marriage had trade-offs for women's sense of control: it increased it by increasing household income, but it decreased it, probably by decreasing autonomy. With household income held constant, nonmarried women had highest sense of control of any group. For men, marriage had less…

This article analyzes arguments for a written form of American Sign Language (ASL) and suggests the need for empowerment of people who are deaf. It concludes that suggestions to "alphabeticize" ASL or to utilize English glosses would not be appropriate, and proposes that deaf people themselves develop a visual symbol system. (DB)

This speech, given by the recipient of the American Library Association (ALA) Author Achievement Award in 1990, discusses the responsibilities of writers of young adult fiction. Issues addressed include problems in growing up, declaring independence from your peers, and the importance of the role of librarians. (LRW)

Discusses empowering youth as means of prevention/intervention. Considers empowerment programs such as those used by Ekerd Therapeutic Wilderness Camping System. Focuses on challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of extended wilderness trips. Notes that proactively empowering adolescents requires adult leaders who are sensitive to…

Measured anxiety and autonomy in kibbutz father-orphaned (n=28) and nonorphaned (n=42) adolescents. Found no significant differences on levels of manifest anxiety and autonomy. When groups were broken down according to gender and age, found that older father-orphan girls manifested significantly greater anxiety than any group and significantly…

Studied effectiveness of intervention to help frail elders to record advance directives (ADs). In collaboration with physicians and lay volunteer, social worker provided information/counseling to elderly subjects, families, and proxies in series of visits to geriatric evaluation and management clinic. Seventy-one percent of subjects recorded ADs.…

Used nationally representative sample of 2,031 adults aged 18 to 90 to compare housework and family care as primary activity with paid work and with volunteer work, leisure activities, home and yard maintenance, and schoolwork. Found that unpaid domestic work was more routine, and it provided less intrinsic gratification and fewer extrinsic…

Urges rehabilitation professionals to identify, through scientific studies, the factors that contribute to their client's quality of life on the basis of the client's assumptions, perceptions, goals, and values. Both culturally relevant theoretical foundations and measurement-methodology issues are addressed. (DB)

Studied the role of popular culture in the literacy curriculum by focusing on superhero role play by 57 6- and 7-year-olds. Findings suggest that superhero play is strongly attractive to girls, who explore agency and autonomy through such plays. (SLD)

Community health nurses (n=96) taking distance-learning courses preferred flexible but highly structured materials with clear guidance and support. There appears to be some conflict between learning style and the autonomous nature of distance learning. (SK)