It’s estimated that in the United States, people with disabilities constitute the third-largest, and perhaps the most diverse, minority group. A person may be born with a disability or it may occur during a lifetime. The disability can be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or a combination of all of these. On this Central Standard, we’ll talk about disability issues across the life span and some local efforts to empower those who face the challenge of a disability.
Dr. Mike Wehmeyer, Professor of Special Education and Director of KU’s Center on Developmental Disabilities and Dr. Carl Calkins, Director, UMKC Institute for Human Development at UMKC talk with us about their research on self-determination and the proposed Self-Determination Center they are advocating for. We will also hear from Dr. Kathy Fuger of UMKC to discuss disability issues for children.
The group focuses on issues surrounding self-determination with disabled people, meaning giving those with physical or mental disabilities the tools to take control of their own life. Below are some online resources to learn more about self-determination.
Resources:
National Gateway to Self-Determination- http://www.ngsd.org/
Sibling Leadership Network- http://siblingleadership.org/
Special Quest- http://www.specialquest.org/
Missouri First Steps Early Intervention- http://dese.mo.gov/se/fs/
