AAMR F.Y.I.
February 2005, Vol.5, No.2
Visit http://www.aamr.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter.
Dear AAMR Friends and Colleagues:
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEW STUDY PROBES WHY INSTITUTIONS AND NURSING HOMES ARE MORE
PREVALENT IN SOME U.S. STATES THAN OTHERS
Noted researchers David L. Braddock
and Mary
Kay
Rizzolo conclude in a recent study that a state’s political culture determines
the prevalence of the use of institutions and nursing homes in the care of
persons with developmental
disabilities. States are traditionalistic, individualistic, or moralistic
they say, with moralistic states using institutions and nursing homes far
less than
individualistic cultures. The study also finds that more wealthy the state,
the better position it is in to offer dual systems of care.
Read more in the Predictors of Use of Nursing Homes and State Institutions
for Persons with DD at http://www.uic.edu/orgs/rrtcamr/NursingHomeStudy.pdf
THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE IS ADOPTED BY TWO GROUPS IN THE NETHERLANDS
The Dutch Association of Professionals in the field of Intellectual
Disability (NGZB) of Utrecht and the Arduin Foundation located in Beatrixlaan
have adopted a Dutch version of the Supports Intensity Scale for planning
supports for citizens with developmental disabilities. The Netherlands will
become the
first country to use the Scale in an electronic format. The SIS is also
poised for use in Taiwan, where it will be translated into complex Chinese.
Launched
in 2004 by the American Association on Mental Retardation, the SIS is a
new assessment tool that gauges practical supports required by persons with
intellectual disabilities
to be a participating member in his or her community.
To read more on these international developments, visit www.aamr.org
Queries
on translations of SIS can be sent to books@aamr.org
EDUCATION AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES UPDATE:
NEWS AND RESOURCES UPDATE
A new report examines the issue of academic expectations for
students with cognitive disabilities within the context of the Individuals
with Disabilities
Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act. How many students with
cognitive disabilities can be expected to achieve the same level of proficiency
as other
students? To what extent can we predict who these students are? What effects
do teacher expectations have on student achievement? The report addresses
these questions and more. Read Expectations for Students with Cognitive
Disabilities: Is the Cup Half Empty or Half Full? Can the Cup Flow Over? at http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Synthesis55.pdf
To learn more on the implications of the 2004 IDEA reauthorization and its
implications, read a new Users Guide published by the Consortium for Citizens
with Disabilities
at http://www.c-c-d.org/IdeaUserGuide.pdf
In other education news, students with disabilities were conspicuously
absent
from a long-awaited federal report on 2004 National Education Technology
Plan on technology use in schools (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/-os/technology/plan/2004/index.html).
Read the response of the National Center on Disability and Access to Education
to this report at http://www.ncdae.org/edtechplan.cfm
On a more positive note, students with intellectual disabilities and families
and professionals supporting them now have a new online resource on everything
related to acquiring a college education, including a searchable database
of
post-secondary education programs that support youth with intellectual
disabilities. Learn more at http://www.thinkcollege.net/
FREE, ONLINE TOOLKIT HELPS YOU MAKE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION
A REALITY FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
"Community
for all": Resources for Supporting Community Living is a free,
online tool kit developed by 7 disability organizations at the request
of professionals
and self-advocates concerned that the progress made towards the inclusion
of people with developmental disabilities into mainstream community life
was at
risk. The toolkit contains comprehensive information and strategies on
how to make community integration work, why it is important, as well as
personal stories
from people who transitioned from an institutional setting into an independent
community environment.
Access Community for all at http://thechp.syr.edu/toolkit/
CALL FOR COMMENTS ON PROPOSED CHANGES IN FEDERAL
REGULATIONS ON EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management
is proposing changes to existing regulations regarding appointments of
persons with mental retardation, severe physical, and psychiatric disabilities.
The new
regulations, if implemented, will allow agencies to make certifications
on a person’s
disability based on determinations made by other federal agencies.
To read more and learn how to send in your comments by March 14,
2005, visit http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ei-special_hiring.asp
FREE, PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ON NURSING CARE
FOR PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES LAUNCHED
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center in Massachusetts
has launched
a free, online journal titled International Journal of Nursing
in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for professionals and families
interested
in promoting optimal health and nursing supports for individuals
with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Access the journal online at http://journal.hsmc.org/ijnidd/index.asp
HOW YOU CAN BUILD GRASSROOTS STATE PARTICIPATION IN ONE
OF THE LARGEST DISABILITY SUMMITS EVER TO BE HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC
The Many Voices, One
Vision Alliance for Full Participation Summit will be held from September
21-24 in Washington,
DC by 11 disability organizations. With over 1,200 individuals
expected to
attend, the Summit is one of the largest disability meetings
to be held for the developmental disability community and the Summit organizers
are
calling
for the formation of state teams to build support for the meeting
agenda at the grassroots level among families, policy makers, providers,
self-advocates,
researchers, and community builders.
To find out who your state liaison is, visit http://www.allianceforfullparticipation.org/state/liaisons.asp
To
find out more about state teams and how to get involved, visit
http://www.allianceforfull-participation.org/state/faq.asp
AAMR
POWER OF ONE CAMPAIGN RAISES MORE THAN $15,000 IN 2004
Read a Power of One campaign update from Bill Gaventa, AAMR Board
member
at http://www.aamr.org/About_AAMR/power_of_one/sucess.shtml
AAMR F.Y.I. is compiled by Anna Prabhala, Editor. Please submit comments, suggestions, tips, and news to annap@aamr.org
Access past issues of AAMR F.Y.I. at www.aamr.org/FYI/. To subscribe, visit http://www.responsetrack.net/aamr/sign_up
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