Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Accessibility Of Adulthood, Hilary Finedore

Honors Papers

Among individuals with developmental disabilities, an individual's needs and self perceptions interact continually with mainstream expectations about adulthood and disability, altering the very way in which the concept of adulthood is expressed. Fieldwork at a county agency serving the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities (consumers) suggests that at the agency's adult day center, unique kinds of social interaction can develop as a result, reflecting the reconciliation of these specific needs and abilities with mainstream expectations.

This county agency seeks to recreate social and economic aspects of mainstream life for individuals that attend this day center, and thus through these …

A Cross Cultural Study Of Disability In The United States And Brazil, Emily Kirsten Stortz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Disability is not only a biological issue, it is an inherently social one. People are only as disabled as their society allows them to be. Enhancing our understanding of the social processes affecting the disabled will allow for their increased participation within society. The researcher employed qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews and participant observation to perform case studies at fieldwork sites providing care to the disabled in Chicago, IL, USA and Santarém, Pará, Brazil. The researcher spent two consecutive weeks in each location. The former location is a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities and the latter is a …

Perceptions Of Disabilities Amongst The Tarahumara In Northern Mexico, Carolyn Raynor Trussell

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research focuses on the perceptions of disability amongst the Tarahumara, known amongst themselves as the Rarámuri, in the Sierra Madre region of Northern Chihuahua. This population of individuals has typically lived in isolated areas in communities in the Sierra Madre where medical and specialized educational services were rare. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, knowledge and beliefs related to disabilities, as well as the access and beliefs related to educational and medical services.

The study focused on the individual and the society to examine how bodily conceptions influence perceptions of others. The target group for …