Assisting consumers with visual impairments to achieve their optimum level of independence in the home and in the workplace should always be the goal of the rehabilitation teacher. Independence rests on the premise that each consumer is a unique, self-determining person who can and should be able to have control in shaping every area of his or her…

This article presents a critical analysis of the principle of the least restrictive environment (LRE). The article begins with a review of the origins of LRE in professional writings and law and moves next to a discussion of how LRE has been operationalized in terms of a continuum of residential, educational, and vocational services. Building on…

The "Rehabilitation Act of 1973," as amended (the act), provides the legislative basis for programs and activities that assist individuals with disabilities in the pursuit of gainful employment, independence, self-sufficiency and full integration into community life. This report is intended to provide a description of accomplishments and…

It is generally acknowledged that a child's primary caregiver acts as a spring board to independence. By encouraging the child to explore their world, parents and guardians are instrumental in developing the child's sense of self-esteem, self-worth and sociability. Less fortunate, however, are the increasing numbers of young children born with a…

Purpose: The aim of this work is to examine the relationship between aspects of objective and perceived housing and aspects of healthy aging, defined as independence in daily activities and subjective well-being. Furthermore, this research examined the comparability of relationships between housing and healthy aging in the five European countries.…

This report presents findings from a rigorous evaluation of the Early Start to Emancipation Preparation (ESTEP)-Tutoring Program in Los Angeles. ESTEP-Tutoring provides up to 50 hours of remedial one-on-one tutoring in reading and math to foster youths ages 14 to 15 who are one to three years behind grade level in either reading or math. The…

This document conveys mandatory policies that have their basis in Federal Law and/or program regulations. It also provides interpretations of Federal Statutes and program regulations initiated by inquiries from State Child Welfare agencies or Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Regional Offices. The manual replaces the Children's…

The objective of the study was to study differences in aging phenomena among adults with intellectual disability (ID), who live in community residence versus their peers in residential care centers and to determine the contribution of health status, age, gender, etiology and level of ID to the decline in ADL function with age. Our study was based…

This article provides a critical evaluation of recent developments in government policy for disabled people in Britain. A brief outline of the re-definition of disability as social oppression by disabled activists and their organizations is provided. This is followed by a brief outline of its impact on recent government policy which aims to…

Over the past few years, considerable research has highlighted the challenges posed by the need for social reinsertion of youth who leave placement. For youth who leave an alternative living environment at the outset of adulthood, this integration is made all the more difficult by psychosocial and health factors and a lack of support in preparing…

This paper describes the Disability Rights and Independent Living movements, and advocates for increased awareness and leadership. The Independent Living Movement started at the University of California in the 1960s when a group of severely disabled students organized a place where they could live independently. Despite their education and…

A National Evaluation of Title IV-E Foster Care Independent Living Programs for Youth was conducted to evaluate the influence of the Independent Living Initiatives, Public Law 99-272, on States' development of programs, policies, and services; and the impact of services on outcomes for older youth discharged from foster care. The first phase of…

The paper defines independent living skills for persons with disabilities and gives samples of a variety of curricular materials available to teach these skills. Frequently asked questions (e.g., how are independent living skills related to survival or coping skills?) and answers precede the listing of 71 commercially available curriculum…

Every year the New York City foster care system discharges approximately 650 young people between the ages of 18 and 21 to live on their own. This study was conducted to determine how the voluntary foster care agencies in New York City have interpreted state and city independent living regulations and implemented programming and services that lead…

Documented school experiences of youth referred for independent-living preparation from foster care system in one Midwestern county. Found that 73 percent had been suspended at least once, and 16 percent had been expelled. Fifty-eight percent had failed a class in the past year, and 29 percent had been in physical fights with students. Seventy…