This study compared results of supported living services for 20 adults with mental retardation and 20 adults receiving traditional residential support. Results indicated that supported living participants experienced significantly more and varied community activity, did both community activities and preferred community activities more frequently,…

The Functional Independence Measure for Blind Adults (FIMBA) Preadmission Interview and the Post-discharge Interview was tested on 143 veterans with blindness. Findings indicate the veterans achieved gains in at least one of the three dimensions (frequency, ease, and satisfaction) across the 33 items that were measured by FIMBA. (Contains…

The quality, number, and content of residential Individualized Habilitation Plans (IHP) objectives were evaluated for 155 adult institution and community residents. Over 90 percent of objectives were functional and age appropriate. Community residents had significantly more IHP objectives and also had objectives from a wider variety of content…

A study examined the short-term outcomes achieved by 70 older people with visual impairments who received rehabilitation services. Results found rehabilitation services were associated with reduction in the use of medical doctors, reduction in the use of in-home professionals, and increased confidence and increased ease of use in public…

Personal control exercised by 74 adults from community living settings in Minnesota were evaluated. Individuals living semi-independently exercised more personal control than did residents of HCBS Waiver-funded supported living services, who had more personal control than did those living in community ICFs/MR. Personal characteristics and…

This study is a companion to a larger study of older adults who had made residential relocations that involved moving from one level of independence to another level. The current study examined the degree to which older individuals perceived their moves to be important, controllable, stressful, disruptive, and positive. (Author)

This article critically comments on previous articles that question the benefits of inclusion for students with severe disabilities. It argues for the inclusion of students with disabilities and suggests that functionality is not found in segregated classes but in one's thoughtful immersion into the complexity of community. (Contains references.)…

Outcome indices were compared across groups of individuals with mental retardation who either remained in institutional settings or transferred from an institutional setting to various community living arrangements. The community group exceeded or matched institution groups with respect to service hours, community integration, and adaptive…

Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) requires that independent living programs annually report demographic information on consumers receiving services and the numbers receiving specific types of services. Although some states collect information on consumer outcomes (for example, improvement in daily living skills), RSA does not request…

It has been well documented that individuals with significant physical disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) face considerable challenges in finding and maintaining employment. This article documents the experiences of one individual, Anthony Arnold, a young man who uses a Pathfinder[TM] for communication and a…

BACKGROUND: Although there has been considerable research into the genotype and phenotype of Williams syndrome, there have been relatively few studies of long-term prognosis. As a preliminary to a more detailed investigation of adults with Williams syndrome, a parental questionnaire was distributed to members of the UK Williams Syndrome…

This report presents detailed tables on the medical expenditures of people, from young children to older adults, who are limited in activity or who need assistance in activities of daily living. It uses data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditures Survey and compares these with 1993 estimates. Tables of results are presented on: (1) total and…

This report presents findings of an investigation into the operations of Project L.I.F.E., a supportive apartment program which serves 72 persons with developmental disabilities in New York City. The introduction describes Project L.I.F.E. and its history and philosophy. The report then details the findings of the investigation, which involved…

This article on systems change focuses on the efforts of a mentally retarded man with cerebral palsy and his advocates to obtain the resources necessary for him to be able to leave a nursing home and live independently. First, the article identifies two kinds of change: change within the system's rules and changing the rules or the system itself.…

This report explores ramifications of vocational rehabilitation services being provided in independent living programs through tracing the development of disability rights and independent living movements from their inception to the present. Comparisons are drawn between the programmatic approaches of state rehabilitation agencies and independent…