Disability Law Commons^™

Confabulation In Individuals With Disorders Of The Corpus Callosum: Educational Implications, Cheryl Lynn Wright

Dissertations

Individuals with disorders of the corpus callosum (DCC) may have subtle cognitive differences. Historically, confabulation has been associated with DCC. Therapies to mitigate confabulation is a newly emerging field. This study explores the possible educational implications that those with DCC may experience with confabulation.

The community of people with DCC and the community of people who interact with individuals with DCC were surveyed to ascertain the prevalence of confabulation within the population of those with DCC. A subset of questions probed whether age and/or gender impact the rates of reported confabulation. The research paradigm included a section that covered the …

Rrtc On Advancing Employment For Individuals With Idd: State Of The Science Paper – State Level Strategy And Policy, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Since the introduction of supported employment in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, there has been continued development and refinement of best practices in employment services and supports. Progress includes demonstration of creative outcomes for individuals with significant support needs, including customized jobs and self-employment, community rehabilitation providers that have shifted emphasis to integrated employment, and states that have made a substantial investment in Employment First policy and strategy. Despite these achievements, the promise of integrated employment has not been realized for many individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). The number of individuals supported …

Guidepost 4: Ensure That Supports Are Outcome-Oriented And Regularly Monitored, Miwa Tanabe, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Community Life Engagement refers to how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) access and participate in their communities outside of employment as part of a meaningful day. (See “What Is Community Life Engagement?” in the box on page 3.) The Community Life Engagement team has been conducting research to identify the elements of highquality Community Life Engagement (CLE) supports. We have created a series of four Engage Briefs to examine the guideposts in detail.

Rrtc On Advancing Employment: Bringing Employment First To Scale, John Butterworth, Amie Lulinski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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In July 2017, ThinkWork conducted a State of the Science session the The Summer Leadership Institute hosted by The Arc of the United States.

State Of The Science Paper – Delivering The Most Effective Employment Supports: Organizational Design And Capacity Building, Brief Summary, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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This brief aims to share information learned from two studies: 1) interviews with employment consultants; and 2) a Delphi process to determine what characteristics are most critical for organizational transformation from facility-based to community-based integrated employment for people with IDD. The relationship between study findings will be explored and a relational model will be introduced.

State Of The Science Paper – Engaging Families, Brief Summary, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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This brief summarizes a paper (State of the Science: Engaging Families, 2017) that explores the role of families in individuals’ employment outcomes through a scoping literature review, as well as findings from a qualitative study involving family members and individuals.

Multiple Perspectives On Service Animals In Society, Arthur W. Blaser

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

This paper explores alternative strategies for taking service dogs seriously. I argue for multiple analytical perspectives to understand service dog issues (as opposed to overreliance on a single method). Analysts (including journalists, policy-makers, and activists) should reflect on media coverage, socio-economic realities, politics and law, and many other factors. Rather than thinking "either/or" on service dogs in society, we need to move to thinking "both/and," to critical analysis of multiple perspectives.

Exploring The Impact Of Community Service On Career Exploration, Self-Determination, And Social Skills For Transition-Age Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Agnes Zalewska, Allison C. Hall, Sheila Fesko, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Bleak transition outcomes for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), coupled with the surge in incidence, has led to the need for focused and innovative transition strategies. While structured community service reveals promise, documentation of how community service experiences contribute to building employment skills for youth with intellectual/developmental disability (IDD), including those with ASD, is under-researched. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a community service on employment skill-building for youth with ASD. Findings from 23 qualitative interviews with a range of stakeholders showed positive perceptions in the areas of career exploration, self-determination, and social skill …

Guidepost 3: Use Social And Human Capital To Decrease Dependence On Paid Supports, Hannah Curren, Allison C. Hall, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Community Life Engagement refers to how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) access and participate in their communities outside of employment as part of a meaningful day. (See “What Is Community Life Engagement?” in the box on page 3.) The Community Life Engagement team has been conducting research to identify the elements of highquality Community Life Engagement (CLE) supports. We have created a series of four Engage Briefs to examine the guideposts in detail.

Different States, Common Issues: Moving Mountains One Service At A Time., Suzzanne Freeze, Allison Hall, Stacy Collins, Duane Shumate, Cindy Thomas, Barbara Brent, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Guidepost 1: Individualize Supports For Each Person, Hannah Curren, Oliver Lyons, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Community Life Engagement refers to how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) access and participate in their communities outside of employment as part of a meaningful day. (See “What Is Community Life Engagement?” in the box on page 3.) The Community Life Engagement team has been conducting research to identify the elements of high-quality Community Life Engagement (CLE) supports. We have created a series of four Engage Briefs to examine the guideposts in detail.

Finding Autonomy: The Impact Of Judicial Discretion For Disabled Individuals In The American Guardianship System, Katherine Davis

Political Science Honors Projects

This study examines the conflict between guardianship and the American disability rights movement, specifically the shift from a medical to a capability model of disability. Legal guardianship presents judges with a dilemma of favoring individual autonomy or societal protection. This dichotomy manifests in the construction of state statutes where legislators can influence judicial discretion and sway decisions. Through analysis of state statutes, case law, and interviews with judges in Connecticut and Minnesota, this study found that higher levels of discretion do not necessarily translate to increased protection of individual autonomy or the use of alternatives to guardianship. The research points …

Ending-Life Decisions: Some Disability Perspectives, Mary Crossley

Articles

In the forty years since Quinlan, disability has been present in the conversation within medicine, bioethics, and law about the acceptability of death-hastening medical decisions, but it has at times been viewed as an interloper, an uninvited guest to the party, or perhaps the guest whom the host was obliged to invite, but whose presence was not entirely welcomed. Notwithstanding some short-term reversals and counter-currents, the steady arc of end-of-life law during the past four decades has been towards liberalization of ending-life choices by and for patients who are severely compromised or near the end of their lives. During …

The Poverty Of The Neuroscience Of Poverty: Policy Payoff Or False Promise?, Amy L. Wax

All Faculty Scholarship

A recent body of work in neuroscience examines the brains of people suffering from social and economic disadvantage. This article assesses claims that this research can help generate more effective strategies for addressing these social conditions and their effects. It concludes that the so-called neuroscience of deprivation has no unique practical payoff, and that scientists, journalists, and policy-makers should stop claiming otherwise. Because this research does not, and generally cannot, distinguish between innate versus environmental causes of brain characteristics, it cannot predict whether neurological and behavioral deficits can be addressed by reducing social deprivation. Also, knowledge of brain mechanisms yields …

Community Integration Of People With Disabilities: Can Olmstead Protect Against Retrenchment?, Mary Crossley

Articles

Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, states have made significant progress in enabling Americans with disabilities to live in their communities, rather than institutions. That progress reflects the combined effect of the Supreme Court’s holding in Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring, that states’ failure to provide services to disabled persons in the community may violate the ADA, and amendments to Medicaid that permit states to devote funding to home and community-based services (HCBS). This article considers whether Olmstead and its progeny could act as a check on a potential retrenchment of states’ …

Data Note: Time From Vr Application To Closure In Employment For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Alberto Migliore, Uchenna Nwangwu, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Getting a job as soon as possible after applying for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services is important for job seekers with intellectual disabilities. This DataNote describes how long it takes for job seekers with intellectual disabilities to go through the steps from application for VR services to determination of eligibility, completion of an individual employment plan, and closure into integrated employment.

How Is Guardianship Status Related To Employment Status For People With Idd? Findings From The National Core Indicators Adult Consumer Survey (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 10), Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Caro Narby, Sandra Pettingell, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDD, have a legal guardian who assists them in making life decisions about housing, health, and employment. A recent analysis of data from the National Core Indicators (NCI) Adult Consumer Survey has found that people with IDD who were represented by a legal guardian were less likely to have paid employment than people who were their own legal guardians.

This finding may help us understand the role that legal guardians play in access to employment. If guardianship is a potential barrier to community-based work, then guardians need to be directly engaged in …

Despite Some Gains, Social Security Administration Data Show A Low Level Of Workforce Participation Among Ssi Recipients, Daria Domin, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), a total of 4,961,659 blind and disabled recipients1 between the ages of 18 and 64 received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits in 2015. Out of the almost 5 million individuals receiving SSI benefits, only 6.3% worked (n=311,922).

Adults with disabilities between the ages of 40 and 64 were a significant demographic of people who receive SSI, constituting almost two thirds of recipients in 2015 (64%; n=3,167,307). However, only 3.5% (n=111,762) of SSI recipients with disabilities in this age group worked.

In comparison, younger SSI recipients (ages 18–39) constituted 36% (n=1,794,352) of the …

What Is The Relationship Between Gender And Employment Status For Individuals With Idd? Findings From The National Core Indicators Adult Consumer Survey (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 9), Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Caro Narby, Sandra Pettingell, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Gender-based discrimination is a persistent problem in the workforce. Like their peers without disabilities, women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have less opportunity to achieve employment outcomes as compared to their male counterparts.

Analysis of data from the 2012–2013 National Core Indicators (NCI) Adult Consumer Survey shows a disparity in access to community jobs between men and women. These data show that women are significantly less likely than men to have a paid job in the community. Among the sample of respondents who worked in a community setting, only about one third were women.

Beyond Training: Engaging Families In The Transition To Employment (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 12), John Kramer, Jennifer Bose, John Shepard, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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We conducted an extended search of trainings provided by state agencies and service providers that are targeted towards families. Trainings in the form of written material (handbooks, brochures and computer-based courses) or given in person by service professionals, peers and others have been found to raise expectations that family members with IDD can become employed in their communities. While an extensive review of these materials is beyond the scope of this brief, we surmise that they continue to be useful in changing families’ level of knowledge about employment possibilities, job search strategies, job accommodations, and benefits planning. However, training on …

Engaging Families Effectively: Results From A Forums And Facebook Group Qualitative Research Study, John Kramer, Jennifer Bose, Eric Mcvay, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Attendees learned how families have modeled employment and advocated for their children to have early work experiences similar to those of their peers without disabilities. Attendees heard how the service system and families have tried to engage across language barriers and socioeconomic differences. The strategies that currently exist to inform families about transition and employment will be discussed, and juxtaposed to the common themes found throughout focus groups and interviews around what they proposed would be the best timing of engaging families about transition services, the best methods of disseminating transition process knowledge, the knowledge gaps, and the strategies that …

From Sheltered Work To Competitive Integrated Employment: Lessons From The Field (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 11), Amie Lulinski, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Stephane Leblois, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Community providers across the nation are embracing the transformation from facility-based employment supports to competitive integrated employment. While many providers believe in inclusion and Employment First for the individuals they support, some struggle to make their vision a reality. The process of organizational transformation can seem daunting without an understanding of the full range of tactics and approaches available.

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), in conjunction with The Arc of the United States, is conducting research to better understand the transformation process and to guide the development of tools and resources for providers seeking to transform their services. As …

Partnerships In Employment: State Self-Assessment Toolkit For Systems Change In The Transition Of Youth And Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities From High School, Cady Landa, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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This self-assessment tool was developed for those who wish to embark on state-wide governmental systems change to improve high school transition and employment outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Its purpose is to aid in the development of a work plan that is based on a review of the state policies, practices, and strategies that impact transition from school and opportunities for competitive integrated employment of youth and young adults with IDD.

This tool incorporates research identifying elements of state government that support high rates of participation in integrated employment (Hall et al., 2007), …

Assisting Job Seekers With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Guide For Employment Consultants (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 13), John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Jennifer Bose, Oliver Lyons, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Interviews with employment consultants reveal 5 key elements for supporting job seekers with disabilities. This brief describes 5 key elements for supporting job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities in finding individual paid employment:

1. Building trust
2. Getting to know the job seeker
3. Addressing supports planning
4. Finding tasks/jobs
5. Providing support after hire

A checklist organized around these 5 key elements makes it easier for employment consultants to understand and implement these support practices.

The Importance Of Establishing Assistance Animal Policies In Your Library, Maureen Rust, Mary Wise

Library Scholarship

Many library employees do not understand fully the laws and rules regarding service animals and the rights of persons with disabilities who work with service animals. Employees do not necessarily know the differences between service animals, therapy animals, and emotional support animals. It is im- portant for employees of all public accommodations, such as libraries, to understand the differences and the rules that govern each category of animal, and when and if each category is allowed into the library. Employees need to know how to accommodate persons with disabilities and what questions they can ask legally, if they have reason …