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This paper focuses on exploring the differences in the importance of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices (SRBP) between Latinx parents who have children with emotional, physical, and cognitive disabilities. Previous research has focused on looking at individual disabilities, such as autism-comparison in differences in importance of SRBP among Latinx parents needs to be further explored. Data from 154 Latinx parents in the United States was collected from an online survey, and a multiple linear regression was used with several predictor groups. Results indicated statistical significance between parents who have children with emotional disabilities and the importance of SRBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population of students identified as English learners (ELs) with disabilities grows, schools need to be preparing educators to serve this vulnerable population. This paper presents findings from an inductive analysis of interviews with teachers and administrators in one suburban district. We examine the ways teachers and administrators perceive their roles and the needs of these students. We found that teachers grapple with identifying needs of students at the intersection of English Learning and Special Education, determining how best to support them, and coordinating across programs. These struggles seem to stem from a lack of understanding and expertise. We posit that through creative collaboration, special education teachers and ELs can help each other build capacity and dispel misconceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States is home to more than 60 million Americans with disabilities and more than 300,000 churches. Yet the relationships among these individuals and congregations is alternately described as encouraging or concerning—sometimes stellar, other times deeply disappointing. Although anecdotes have characterized much of these depictions, a growing body of research also focuses on this area. This research review addresses the current landscape of congregational participation and practices related to individuals with disabilities and their families. What is known about the participation of individuals with disabilities in relation to faith community life? What is known about the practices of local congregations in relation to individuals with disabilities? This paper highlights key findings, identifies gaps in the current literature, and concludes with recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolving legal cannabis landscape in the US continues to present novel regulatory challenges that necessitate the development of a Cannabis Regulatory Science. Two specific issues of concern within Cannabis Regulatory Science are (1) the impact that cannabis use has on the incidence, prevalence, and severity of mental disorders, and (2) how cannabis laws and regulations modify this impact. This paper first provides several conceptual points that are useful for evaluating the relationship between cannabis use and mental disorders. Second, it selectively reviews and comments on data relevant to the relationship between cannabis use and depression, several forms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Next, regulatory and public health parallels between the nascent cannabis industry and the pharmaceutical, tobacco, and alcohol industries are discussed. The focus is on specific types of industry practices that may harm those with or at risk for mental disorders. Recommendations are then offered for legal cannabis regulations that could mitigate this harm. Last, future research goals are discussed for building the field of Cannabis Regulatory Science and addressing the potential negative impact of cannabis on those with mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We overview several key issues of the past, present, and near future of special education for students with severe disabilities. We contextualize the Telos of special education by briefly remarking on its historical roots in the United States, then delve into several issues we believe are critical for advancing toward better outcomes for students with severe disabilities, including the increasingly alarming shortage of special education teachers and short-sighted responses to address it. We also discuss issues related to curricular decisions, and the apparent tension between access to general education (i.e. academic) curriculum and teaching other life altering repertoires for students with severe disabilities. Attention also is given to the evidence-based practices movement in special education, including the apparent rigidity of intervention protocols and slow advances toward clarifying for whom and under what conditions an intervention is effective. Our intention is to generate discussion about and interest in areas where consensus among stakeholders appears feasible such that policy and law can be influenced in ways that advance toward realizing the Telos of special education for students with severe disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper examines common barriers to IPS supported employment implementation from the perspective of various stakeholders for IPS. Stakeholders describe the strategies used within their state to minimize or eliminate those problems. Methods: Six stakeholders reported barriers they encountered while implementing IPS and strategies they found helpful in overcoming those issues. The stakeholders included two senior planners from state mental health, one senior planner from state vocational rehabilitation, a mental health agency executive director, a client advocate, and a family member advocate. Barriers examined in this paper include program fee schedules that promote the use of traditional vocational assessments, difficulties funding IPS services, practitioner attitudes that conflict with IPS principles, client and family fears regarding loss of disability benefits or increased symptoms related to a return to work, and difficulties related to effective program implementation and sustainability. Conclusions: Although many service delivery systems have barriers to IPS implementation, these can be managed or eliminated through leadership from stakeholders such as state mental health and vocational rehabilitation senior planners, client and family advocates, and agency directors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In French-speaking countries, the word 'inclusion' is sometimes used instead of the usual term 'integration' to refer to the schooling of pupils with special needs in ordinary schools. This paper proposes an analysis to throw light on the reasons for the emergence of a new term and the advantages of adopting it to denote educational principles in favour of pupils with special educational needs. A description of the situation in the USA will give a better understanding of what inclusive education is, and what benefit there is in distinguishing it from integrative education (and even from inclusive practices). In particular, it will be argued that in using the expression 'inclusive education', we can describe not more developed integration but differentiating practices. These differentiating practices allow children and adolescents, whatever their difficulties or disabilities, to find in an ordinary school an educational response, appropriate in its aims and means, in ways that do not differentiate between them and the other pupils of the school. With this approach, it is not the child who is included but the school and the teaching which are inclusive. The special needs are therefore no longer those of the child, but those of the school, and thus go beyond the limits of integration. The paper concludes by a presentation of the expected developments in the school which may make it, not an integrating school but an inclusive one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the progress to date in developing public policy, national infrastructure, and services in support of persons with disabilities seeking to enter and sustain meaningful employment. It reports on a study of 'best practices' in the aftermath of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and the Workforce Investment Act (1998). Unresolved disability-employment issues are explored and the paper concludes by calling for greater involvement by persons with disabilities to help resolve existing issues and improve services by identifying and promoting the adoption of 'best practices.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seldom-discussed element of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides a degree of employment protection to the relatives and close associates of persons with disabilities, if these relatives or associates have been subject to adverse employment action because of this relationship. This paper describes this “third-party discrimination,” and analyzes important court cases related to it. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the correlation between the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the employment participation of people with disabilities. First, it discusses the methodological difficulties in measuring the ADA's impacts. Second, it describes a longitudinal study using Health and Retirement Survey data exploring changes in employment rates and odds of employment during the 1990s for older working-age people with disabilities. The findings show that while older people with disabilities had slightly lower employment rates than older people without disabilities during the 1990s, the odds that older people with disabilities would be employed has increased since the passage of the ADA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines disability terminology to explore how the news media frame cultural representations of the disability community. More specifically, the paper examines the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on journalist's language choices about disability topics. A content analysis of news stories using disability terms in The Washington Post and The New York Times during the past decade was conducted. The paper illustrates that disability community identity continues to be formed, transformed and maintained through news media presentations of disability terminology. The paper argues that the US Disability Rights Movement had some success during the 1990s in putting forth language that advances its aims, though the study also suggests that some journalists continue to use terms that perpetuate limiting, narrow stereotypes about people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This paper reports the findings of a study of individual budgeting practices in state‐financed developmental disabilities services in the United States. The study's purpose was to describe key process components and methodological variables integral to consumer‐controlled, individual budgeting formats employed in state‐funded services. Method The study was conducted in two phases: a national survey sent to state agency directors in all 50 states plus Washington DC, and an in‐depth assessment of individual budgeting practices in 9 selected states. Results Data received from 84% of state developmental disabilities agencies contacted indicated considerable variability in the formats employed by states to: determine support needs of eligible individuals; equate needs to specific services; and set an amount of funding sufficient to pay for identified supports. Conclusions No single individual budgeting method is universally accepted by all state agencies. State practices differ significantly from one jurisdiction to another, although most follow a developmental , statistical or mixed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study was conducted to understand and compare attitudes among social work students in the United States and Japan toward people with disabilities. The Modified Issues in Disabilities Scale (MIDS), designed to measure attitudes toward people with physical disabilities, was implemented on convenient samples of 92 U.S. and 73 Japanese social work students. The findings suggest that social work students in both countries hold moderately positive attitudes. Other similarities as well as differences among the sampled students from the two countries, and their implications to social work education, will be discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Americans with Disabilities Act is both a liberal civil rights bill and a labour economics bill meant to increase the employment of disabled persons. It identifies the source of unemployment in discriminatory attitudes of employers and physical barriers in the work environment, and promotes inclusion through the establishment of regulations that are intended to create 'equal opportunity' in the labour market. Such liberal reforms primarily focus on 'irrational' discriminatory attitudes. Operating within an individualist framework, civil rights have not given sufficient attention to structural barriers, which 'rational' business practices, the economic system and class power relationships erect. This paper will both micro- and macro-economic realities of US capitalism, which directly impede disabled peoples' employment and perpetuate a disabling society. The failure of rights legislation to increase disabled people's employment exposes the contradictions of promoting equal opportunity in a class-based (unequal) society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many community psychologists have the educational and professional backgrounds which make them potentially valuable resources for the disabilities field. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) call for greater community inclusion, empowerment, and self-determination for persons with disabilities. Community psychologists with interests in these concepts, as well as in interdisciplinary training, collaboration, community-driven research, and political action are needed as leaders in the disabilities field. This paper explores the development of one community psychologist's career working with persons who have disabilities and the institutions that support them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One in four American adults reports having at least one disability. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with disabilities and widened already-existing health disparities and inequities. For many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), these disparities are compounded by literacy limitations that make it challenging to access, understand, and act upon critical COVID-19 prevention information. Using a design thinking framework, we conducted interviews with 27 caregivers of adults with IDD who also have extreme low literacy (ELL) to assess COVID-19 information needs and recommendations for how health care providers could best provide COVID-19 information. Based on our findings, we developed a draft tip sheet to help health care providers communicate with adults with IDD/ELL about COVID-19. We then tested the tip sheet with six health care providers via a focus group discussion. We refined and finalized the tip sheet based on our focus group findings. Caregivers noted the importance of visual aids, repetition, empathy and addressing the person with IDD/ELL directly when discussing COVID-19. Many health care providers indicated that the tip sheet would be most helpful for those with limited experience with patients with IDD/ELL and specific instructions for implementing the tips would be important. We developed an evidence-informed tip sheet to facilitate communication between health care providers and adults with IDD/ELL and their caregivers, particularly around COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of stakeholders work to ensure opportunities for students with disabilities to learn in and through the arts. Because they work in various disciplines in the fields of arts education and special education, these stakeholders lack opportunities to share resources and information. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and its arts and disability affiliate VSA, brought together leaders at the intersection of arts education and special education in the summer of 2012. These leaders established recommendations for a national agenda to address issues impacting the arts education of students with disabilities. These recommendations are encompassed within two broad proposals: (1) create a dynamic information hub/technical assistance center, and (2) establish a consortium of stakeholders across the arts education and special education communities to advance a national agenda. The Kennedy Center and others are now addressing various agenda items, which will ultimately impact access to and the quality of arts education for students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article examines the wealth and asset holdings of married-couple households with children with disabilities in the U.S. It has been found that households with children with disabilities are less likely to own a house and to own interest-bearing assets. It was also found that the number of automobiles owned by these households were affected by the presence of a child with disabilities.

Students with disabilities are frequently victimized or marginalized at school. However, little is known from the perspective of youth with disabilities about their experiences of victimization, coping, and protection. The current study examined experiences of school victimization and identified factors that reduced victimization, created a welcoming environment, or improved coping. Based on ten in-depth interviews, five themes emerged: victimization specific to disability was common; some schools were the source of victimization; support from educators, family, and peers reduced victimization; blending with classmates and educating peers helped to overcome victimization; and some disability characteristics limited the strategies to cope with victimization. Both peers and schools were the source of victimization in some situations and the source of coping in others. Findings reinforce the importance of family, peers, and school support to prevent victimization, as aggression is less likely to occur in environments that embrace diversity and support children with disabilities. In this study, we heard from students in the United States living with a disability about how that disability shaped their friendships, relationships with family, and relationships with school personnel. Youth with disabilities experienced physical (e.g., hitting or punching), verbal (e.g., name-calling), and relational victimization (e.g., spreading rumors or leaving someone out of a group on purpose); much of it was specific to their disability. The support from family, peers, and school staff was important to protect youth with a disability from bullying and to help them cope with victimization. Youth experienced protection and support from participating in disability-specific summer camps, attending schools with like-minded peers (e.g., art school), and educating peers and school staff about their disability. Participants described significant difficulty getting the disability-related accommodations (e.g., wheelchair-accessible school bus, permission to carry blood glucose meter at school) they needed at school, which are required by law in the United States. This difficulty getting accommodations lead to feelings of victimization from school staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study is to examine what parents think about individuals with disabilities and inclusion, to what extent parents' attitudes are related to their children's attitudes toward peers with disabilities and other family demographics, and how parents address disabilities to their children. Using surveys and interviews, data were collected from 50 children in kindergarten or 1st grade classes and their parents in the United States. Results showed that parents' attitudes toward individuals with disabilities were significantly correlated with their previous experiences with people with disabilities. However, none of the family demographics were related to their attitudes and no relations were found between children's attitudes and parents' attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. Results from parent interviews also revealed that a small number of parents had talked about disabilities or challenging behaviours with their children. Based on the results, suggestions for research and implications for practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the mental health impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the U.S. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was introduced into psychiatric nomenclature as an official diagnosis, under the larger classification of anxiety disorders. PTSD had been variously referred to as post-Vietnam syndrome, battle fatigue, shell shock, exhaustion, or accident or traumatic neurosis. The essential feature of PTSD is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor involving direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury. Reported rates of PTSD prevalence vary widely even among studies using similar samples exposed to similar traumas. These data suggest that in the aftermath of September 11 attacks, symptom rates or diagnosis of PTSD are likely to vary with the type of study done, its timing, and the predisposing experiences of those exposed. Impairment is another factor influencing assessment of PTSD. While functioning may be impaired among those meeting diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorder, the reported link between psychiatric and functional status is often weak. Other factors may obscure accurate estimations of posttraumatic symptoms or disorders.

The article discusses the economic impact of depression in the U.S. according to a paper released by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in March 2006. The disorder costs the economy over $83 billion annually. Depression is the leading cause of disability and suicide in the country. The alliance has proposed steps to improve the mental health care system and access to care of people coping with depression and their families.

More than 18 000 Golf Cart (GC)-related injuries occur in the United States (US) annually. However, very few studies have analyzed the causes of such crashes. This study represents the largest single-center analysis of GC crashes performed within the largest GC community in the US, a community in which they are used extensively for local transportation. We examine the nature of these crashes and present potential preventative measures. All GC crashes reported in The Villages, Florida, from July 1, 2011 to July 1, 2019 were analyzed in this study. Data were obtained from multiple sources to create a comprehensive collection of all recorded GC crashes in the area of study. Sources included The Villages Property Owners' Association (POA), The Villages Sun Daily Newspaper, The Villages Public Safety Department (VPSD), Police Dispatch records, and the Sumter County Police data base. During the observation period, a total of 875 GC-related crashes occurred, representing an average of 136 crashes, 65 hospitalizations, and 9 dead or disabled annually. Of all crashes, 48% resulted in hospitalization, severe trauma, or death. Of these, ejection occurred in 27%, hospitalization in 55%, and death or disability in 15% of crashes. Virtually all death and disability occurred within the setting of GC used on streets or road pathways. Death and disability, particularly due to ejection during GC crashes, occur at an alarming rate when GCs are used for local transportation. We believe public awareness and the use of 3-point seatbelts in these vehicles would significantly reduce death and disability caused by these crashes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the teaching of disability history, specifically concerning the historical figure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). Drawing upon literature from multicultural education, disability history and disability studies in education (DSE), the authors discuss historical content and teaching ideas for instruction about FDR. The authors present findings from a content analysis of six middle level and secondary United States history textbooks, noting unanimous coverage of FDR's disability resulting from polio. These textbooks noted how he overcame his disability and strengthened his character, referenced his decision to conceal his disability, and quoted FDR directly regarding his disability. The authors follow this analysis with discussion of several middle and high school teaching ideas that might augment textbook coverage and representation about FDR. This article explores how teachers of United States history might further develop their teaching of history through the inclusion of disability history within the context of a famous historical figure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores personal and social experiences of disability in the U.S. and other world contexts. Topics discussed include how disability and peace are essential for one another; the need for considerations of disability justice to be utilized; failures of medical, educational and political systems for disabled and multiply marginalized people as highlighted by Covid-19 pandemic and active unconsciousness of disabled community members.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of sensory dysfunction (i.e. auditory, visual, vestibular, chemosensory and multiple sensory problems) and explore associations with traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity and injury mechanism among deployed Post-9/11 Veterans. Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis used Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs diagnostic codes and administrative data. Results: Among the 570,248 Veterans in this cohort, almost 23% had at least one diagnosis of sensory dysfunction. In the multinomial regression analysis, the odds of all types of sensory dysfunction were greater among those with any TBI relative to those with no TBI. The odds for auditory or multisensory problems were higher among those that indicated exposure to blast. In particular, exposure to quaternary blast injury (e.g. crush, respiratory and burn injuries) was associated with increased odds for auditory, visual, vestibular and multisensory problems. Conclusions: Sensory problems affect a substantial number of deployed Post-9/11 Veterans and are more common among those with TBI or with exposure to deployment-related blast exposure. Because sensory problems profoundly impact quality of life, their identification and enhanced education and therapy are vital tools to improve prognosis for these relatively young Veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with serious mental illness are often forced to live in institutional settings which limit their freedom and rights to become fully integrated into the community. The Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999) decision ruled that states must provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to live in the most integrated settings based on their needs. Since that time several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of individuals with disabilities against states for failing to comply with the Olmstead decision. New York State is one such state. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lawsuit which was brought against the state of New York by the Department of Justice on behalf of several individuals with severe mental illness who lived in “adult homes.” The lawsuit was filed against New York State in 2013 for failing to fulfill the promise of the Olmstead decision by not providing these individuals access to housing that would allow them to be fully integrated into communities so as to live productive lives. A brief discussion is provided as to how the case was finally settled and the changes New York State made to ensure that the Olmstead decision would be fully implemented in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disproportionate placement of racial minorities and males into special education for learning disabilities (LDs) raises concerns that classifications occur inaccurately or inequitably. This study uses data from the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 to investigate the social etiology of LD classifications that persist into adolescence. Findings suggest the overclassification of racial minorities is largely consistent with (clinically relevant) differences in educational performance. Classifications may occur inconsistently or subjectively, with clinically irrelevant qualities like school characteristics and linguistic-immigration history independently predictive of disability classification. Finally, classifications may be partially biased, with male overclassification largely unexplained by this study’s measures and racial minorities’ risk of classification increased in schools with fewer minorities (the latter not statistically significant). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welfare participation varies across the United States due to a myriad of welfare program differences specific to geographical locations. The purpose of this study is to examine Work First participation rates among the eligible poor utilizing a county-level analysis of North Carolina. Findings suggest the proportion of poor single mothers, region, county political orientation, and rates of disability receipt affect program participation. Findings highlight the importance of examining the welfare program at the county level and the dynamics of welfare participation, particularly in terms of how those in power affect access to social services among families in need. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article offers a novel and timely context for understanding mindfulness practices in early childhood education. Positioned within a larger social context of mindfulness, we conducted an extensive systematic review of the literature to examine the scope and nature of mindfulness and early childhood. We found that mindfulness and young children constitute a growing area of interest globally which may be culturally determined as demonstrated in how these practices are perceived and implemented in early childhood settings. Although there was variability in the ways mindfulness practices were considered, all of the articles selected for this review discussed the positive outcomes associated with mindfulness for young children. Research and practice implications are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective:Previous studies on crash modeling at highway–rail grade crossings were aimed at exploring the factors that are likely to increase the crash frequencies at highway–rail grade crossings. In recent years, modeling driver's injury severity at highway–rail grade crossings has received interest. Because there were substantial differences among different weather conditions for driver's injury severity, this study attempts to explore the impact of weather influence on driver injury at highway–rail grade crossing. Method:Utilizing the most recent 10 years (2002–2011) of highway–rail grade crossing accident data, this study applied a mixed logit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity under different weather conditions at highway–rail grade crossing. Results:Analysis results indicate that drivers' injury severity at highway–rail grade crossings is strongly different for different weather conditions. It was found that the factors significantly impacting driver injury severity at highway–rail grade crossings include motor vehicle speed, train speed, driver's age, gender, area type, lighting condition, highway pavement, traffic volume, and time of day. Conclusions:The findings of this study indicate that crashes are more prevalent if vehicle drivers are driving at high speed or the oncoming trains are high speed. Hence, a reduction in speed limit during inclement weather conditions could be particularly effective in moderating injury severity, allowing more reaction time for last-minute maneuvering and braking in moments before impacts. In addition, inclement weather-related crashes were more likely to occur in open areas and highway–rail grade crossings without pavement and lighting. Paved highway–rail grade crossings with installation of lights could be particularly effective in moderating injury severity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is well documented that youth in residential treatment settings and juvenile justice facilities face a myriad of challenges when transitioning to school, work, or other community settings. Multitiered systems of support can be used to help prepare youth for this transition. A central tenet of a multitiered system is to provide evidenced-based interventions at three levels: universal, targeted, and personalized. This article describes an intervention, Merging Two Worlds, used at the targeted level with youth in a secure care facility. Merging Two Worlds is a curriculum specifically designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to address the challenges they may face in the transition process. Data from two different studies using Merging Two Worlds are presented, findings are discussed, and recommendations for practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article brings a postmodern philosophical perspective on the impact of U.S. media, cyber-technology, and the loss of the veteran hero in our current day American culture. Societal ambivalence, media depersonalization, and techno-war tactics along with the collusion of institutional under-responsiveness contribute to the metaphorical and real disappearance, or lack of recognition, and alienation of the veteran and his or her behavioral health needs. This phenomenon also speaks to the denial of community and governmental responsibility that in fact, we all as a society, share toward returning service members in helping them to reintegrate into civilian life with renewed sense of hope, health, dignity, and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the gap in knowledge about the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on older working adults, this study examined quality of life, worker productivity, and healthcare resource utilization among employed adults aged 65 and older with and without COPD. Among 2009 National Health and Wellness Survey (a cross-sectional, internet-based survey representative of the US adult population) respondents, employed adults aged 65 years and older, with COPD (n == 297) and without COPD (n == 3061), were included in analyses. Impact of self-reported COPD diagnosis on mean quality of life (using health utilities and mental, MCS, and physical, PCS, component summary scores from SF-12v2), work productivity and activity impairment (using the WPAI questionnaire), and resource use were examined. Adjusting for demographic and health characteristics such as co-morbidities (weighted to project to the US population) in regression models (linear, negative binomial, or logistic, as appropriate given the outcome measure), older workers with COPD reported significantly lower MCS (52.1 vs. 53.4, p < .05), PCS (40.3 vs. 47.2, p < .05), and health utilities (0.72 vs. 0.79, p < .05) than those without COPD, and significantly greater percentages of impairment while at work (presenteeism) (12.6%% vs. 8.7%%, p < .0001), overall work impairment (absenteeism and presenteeism combined) (19.3%% vs. 10.0%%, p < .05), and impairment in daily activities (23.9%% vs. 13.7%%, p < .05). There were no significant differences in absenteeism or healthcare use. Quality of life and work productivity suffered among employed adults aged 65 years and older with COPD, emphasizing the need for disease management in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study looks at the evolution of the Woodside Place model as it was applied to three later facilities, Copper Ridge and the memory-support units at the Gardens at William Hill Manor and NewBridge on the Charles. All four facilities were designed by Perkins Eastman. Woodside Place and Copper Ridge are both early projects, opening within 3 years of each other. The Gardens at William Hill Manor and NewBridge on the Charles both opened approximately 20 years later and embody lessons learned from the Woodside Place model over the intervening years. The investigation for this study was done through a series of post-occupancy evaluations by the Research Collaborative at Perkins Eastman. Each of the facilities was visited. Interviews with the administration, care and facilities staff, and families were conducted. Facility tours were taken with administrators and care and facilities staff, with follow-up questionnaires. In addition, archived information from earlier post-occupancy evaluations at Woodside Place and Copper Ridge were used. The study found that the Woodside Place model had been successfully adapted to a variety of contexts, populations, and programs. Several improvements have been made since the original building was opened. Based on these findings, the article provides design recommendations for current residential dementia facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The I Can Do It, You Can Do It Program (ICDI) national model, sponsored by the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination (DNRC), of the National Institutes of Health, implements a health promotion mentoring model for individuals with disabilities by leveraging the structural and human resources of community partners. The evidence-based model incorporates: (1) accessibility; (2) individual choice; (3) affordability; (4) public and nonprofit collaboration; (5) mentor support; and (6) evaluation. The university evaluated a pilot with 163 mentor-mentee pairs, to measure physical activity and healthy eating outcomes. In addition to reporting satisfaction, mentees increased physical activity levels, and decreased BMI. Mentees also increased fruit and salad intake. Mentors knowledge improved, but they also gained better communication, strategies for self-efficacy, and more comfort with supporting individuals with a disability. Through an expansion of ICDI in nine sites throughout the United States, larger-scale evaluation of the model continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is based on the Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy, which was approved by the American Library Association in 2001. The policy identified focus areas for libraries including library services, facilities, collections, and assistive technology. Library websites frequently convey this information to users. Our study examined and compared academic library websites for the differently able. What services do academic libraries offer to the differently able? Is there a basic level of services that libraries identify or should offer? Are websites for people with disabilities easily located from the library's home page? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant body of research exists that explores the stressors of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are fewer studies, however, that examine specific effective coping strategies of mothers of children with an ASD. This qualitative study explored mothers' perceptions of effective coping strategies for their parenting stressors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 mothers to inquire about their personal coping methods. Interviews were coded and emergent themes identified that included coping strategies such as 'me time,' planning, knowledge is power, sharing the load, lifting the restraints of labels, and recognizing the joys. The information from this study may benefit mothers of children with ASD and inform pediatric therapists providing services to children with ASD and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 20 years after its passage. It provides an overview of the history and major components of the ADA, examines who has disabilities and how they are faring, and traces how the ADA has evolved through court cases that have limited its scope. In addition, the article investigates abuse of the ADA, its economic impact, and the problems in defining a disability. Although the ADA is continuing to evolve, it requires significant change to live up to its magnificent promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the issue of bullying and harassment in the United States. The significance of the issue is critical. A historical perspective on the growing attention to and need to confront this social ill is presented. Seminal research related to the topic is interwoven throughout. Practical considerations in addressing the problem are reviewed. Finally, the current state of the bullying epidemic is explored, with implications for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal issues have increasingly come to the forefront in academic libraries in recent years. Most of these issues involve The Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 (1973) or Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), complaints related to discriminatory practices with regard to accommodations or assistive technologies. This article provides a brief synopsis of the particular clauses within the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) (ADA) pertaining to academic libraries and explains these clauses in clear lay terms. Office of Civil Rights complaints and court cases to illustrate the legal ramifications of the ADA for libraries are discussed. This article focuses on some of the cases that are most pertinent to issues related to providing appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Problem resolution strategies for resolving 504 and ADA complaints are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the privatization of American civic life and the consequences that privatization may pose for veterans of the United States Armed Forces, particularly those with disabilities, in terms of their reliance on the commitment that the American people have embraced regarding the provision of service- and disability-related benefits. The essay relies on historical, theoretical, and ethnographic perspectives. The conclusions are that, while the commitment made by the American people to veterans is a significant value, it must be considered in light of the distinctions between the ethical prescriptions and moral complexities considering policy issues in a climate of changing national priorities and the embedded nature of social and moral life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present qualitative study examined the experiences of nine students with mild disabilities during their first year in an inclusive middle school in a Midwestern state of the United States (US). Data were gathered through interviews with students, teachers, and parents; classroom observations; and document analysis. Following the data analysis, three themes were identified: how the demands of navigating a new environment increased students' anxiety; how students satisfied their need for belonging; and how students' perceptions of school influenced their attitude towards help. Suggestions for facilitating school transitions for early adolescents with mild disabilities are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which educational institutions and their teachers in the USA, England, and Australia should bear legal responsibility in damages for ineffective classroom teaching is the subject of this article. At the heart of the controversy regarding educational malpractice is the issue of remedies. Federal and state courts in the USA have resisted awarding damages where such an award would appear to sound in educational malpractice. However, although courts in Australia have yet to declare with any degree of certainty, they appear positioned to follow the English approach that ostensibly acknowledges a school's duty of care to provide effective education for all children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe characteristics of vasomotor symptoms, specifically daily frequency and severity, among women 40-65 years old in the United States (US). Design A survey was completed by a nationally representative sample of 4402 US women aged 40-65 years old. A questionnaire focusing on menopausal symptoms was administered online in April 2005. Results The prevalence of vasomotor symptoms was 79% in peri- and 65% in postmenopausal women. Women with daily vasomotor symptoms had an average of 2.5 very mild/mild, 2.6 moderate, 2.5 severe, and 1.4 very severe daytime hot flushes in a typical day. Women with night sweats every night had an average of 2.4 moderate, 3.2 severe, and 2.7 very severe night sweats in a typical night. Overall, 9% of peri- and 7% of postmenopausal women reported 7+ moderate to very severe vasomotor symptoms in a typical day. Although some women reported that symptoms were worse in the evening and in the summer, many women reported they were consistent, both throughout the day and throughout the seasons of the year. Conclusions The Menopause Epidemiology Study builds upon existing literature by providing data on daily frequency and severity of vasomotor symptoms. There are many women with frequent and severe vasomotor symptoms who may benefit from treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association between adverse maternal/perinatal outcomes and Canadian and U.S. preeclampsia severity criteria. Methods: Using PIERS data (Preeclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk), an international continuous quality improvement project for women hospitalized with preeclampsia, we examined the association between preeclampsia severity criteria and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes (univariable analysis, Fisher's exact test). Not evaluated were variables performed in <80% of pregnancies (e.g., 24-hour proteinuria). Results: Few of the evaluated variables were associated with adverse maternal (chest pain/dyspnea, thrombocytopenia, 'elevated liver enzymes', HELLP syndrome, and creatinine >110 μM) or perinatal outcomes (dBP >110 mm Hg and suspected abruption) (at p < 0.01). Conclusions: In the PIERS cohort, most factors used in the Canadian or American classifications of severe preeclampsia do not predict adverse maternal and/or perinatal outcomes. Future classification systems should take this into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) correctly identifies maintaining variables of challenging behaviour. However, for adults who have a long history of challenging behaviours, identifying one clear function of the maladaptive behaviour is difficult. Additionally, the person may develop multiple functions of their maladaptive behaviour. Method Characteristics of single versus multiple maintaining factors were evaluated using the QABF for 88 adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). The reliability of single versus multiple maintaining factors for aggression and self-injurious behaviour was analysed. Multiple factors were analysed in terms of type of maintaining factors, and their order of importance by challenging behaviour was noted. Results The majority of behaviours examined were maintained by multiple functions. Reliability was higher for behaviours with a single maintaining variable when compared to behaviours with multiple maintaining variables. Conclusion These data appear to have implications for aetiology, assessment, and treatment of challenging behaviours in individuals with ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how stand‐up [sic] comedy constructs, circulates, perpetuates and/or disrupts stereotypical images of disabled persons in the United States. We use disabled people, rather than people‐first language, to remind readers that disability is an ill‐defined, culturally imposed attribute. Although humor is culturally specific, we draw on works of an international cadre of humanities scholars and social scientists to ground our analyses. We conclude that disability humor constitutes an emerging, liberatory art form. Disabled and non‐disabled comedians elicit thought‐provoking laughter and present disability as an interesting way to live. However, disabling humor still perpetuates stereotyping and isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is well known to have disguised and minimized his disability in his role as a political leader. Less well known is the remarkable nature of the colony he established for people with disabilities from polio in Warm Springs, Georgia in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The colony at Warm Springs represents a unique historical community in which disability was not stigmatized; where people with disabilities controlled their own resources and their own lives; and where the medical model of disability was repudiated. As such, the Warm Springs community represents a remarkable period and place in disability history that warrants continued study. New evidence drawn from the archives of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York and the personal scrapbooks of former residents of the Warm Springs colony provides further support for the theory that FDR’s Warm Springs colony represented an early precursor to the philosophies and values promoted by the Independent Living Movement that emerged 50 years later. The Warm Springs colony offered an unprecedented approach to rehabilitation and independent living for people with disabilities from polio in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, and because of this provides an invaluable lesson from history that deserves ongoing attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the growth of residential services in Australia and the United States during 1997-2002. The most significant factors increasing demand for services and supports for people with intellectual disability are growth in national population and changes in the demographic structure of the population, particularly aging. To identify the extent of real growth in residential services, the researches compared annual changes in service provision with growth of national population in Australia and the United States since 1997. By 2002, the number of consumers of Australian residential services had increased by 5.69% relative to 1997, and the Australian population had grown by 6.15% in the same period.