The authors conducted key informant interviews with 16 disability advocacy and research leaders; half of the interviews were with leaders in shaping national disability policy during and after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and half were with state and local leaders representing constituencies who had not had a visible presence at the national level. During audiotaped telephone interviews, we asked the informants to identify the top 5 advocacy priorities for the next 10 years, as well as what strategies they thought could advance the disability advocacy agenda. Two overarching themes emerged: the impact of poverty among people with disabilities and the connections among various advocacy issues. The authors discuss the 5 issues most often cited by the participants, as well as issues particular to various constituencies, and draw conclusions about what strategies would advance the disability agenda.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990)
2.
Altman, B.M. (2001). Disability definitions, models, classification schemes, and applications. In G. L. Albrecht , K. D. Seelman, & M. Bury, (Eds.), Handbook of disability studies (pp. 97—122). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
3.
Barnartt, S., Schriner, K., & Scotch, R. (2001). Advocacy and political action. In G. L. Albrecht, K. D. Seelman , & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of disability studies (pp. 430—449). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
4.
Berk, M.L., Schur, C.L., & Cantor, J.C. (1995). Ability to obtain health care: Recent estimates from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Access to Care Survey. Health Affairs, 14, 139—146.
5.
Brown, S. (2000). Freedom of movement: IL history and philosophy . Houston, TX: Independent Living Research Utilization.
6.
Cook, J.A., & Burke, J. (2002). Public policy and employment of people with disabilities: Exploring new paradigms. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 20, 541—557.
7.
Flanagan, S.A., & Green, P. (1997). Consumer-directed personal assistance services: Key operational issues for state programs using intermediary service organizations . Cambridge, MA: The MEDSTAT Group .
8.
Hahn, H. (1985). Disability policy and the problem of discrimination . American Behavioral Scientist, 28(3), 293—318.
9.
Hahn, H. (1993). The potential impact of disability studies on political science (as well as vice versa). Policy Studies Journal, 21(4), 740—751.
10.
Half the Planet Foundation. (2002). Disability policy in the 21st century: Moving on up. Retrieved January 17, 2003, from http://www.halftheplanetfoundation.org
11.
Houtenville, A. (2000). Economics of disability research report #2: Estimates of employment rates for persons with disabilities in the United States by state, 1980 through 1998. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, Research and Rehabilitation Training Center for Economic Research on Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities.
12.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, 20 U.S.C. § 1400. et seq. (1990) (amended 1997)
13.
L.C. v. Olmstead, 527 U.S. 581 (1999).
14.
Longmore, P.K. (1997). Political movements of people with disabilities: The League of the Physically Handicapped, 1935—1938. Disability Studies Quarterly, 17(2), 94—98.
15.
Longmore, P.K., & Umansky, L. (2001). The new disability history: American perspectives . New York: New York University Press.
16.
McNeil, J. (2001). Americans with disabilities 1997: p. 70—73. Current population reports. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.
Nadash, P. (1998). Independent choices. American Rehabilitation, 24(3), 15—20.
19.
National Council on Disability. (2000). Closing the gap: A ten-point strategy for the next decade of civil rights enforcement. Washington, DC: Author .
20.
National Council on Disability. (2001). The accessible future. Washington, DC: Author.
21.
O'Day, B., & Killeen, M. (2002). Research on the lives of people with disabilities; The emerging importance of qualitative research methodologies. Journal of DisabilityPolicy Studies, 13(1), 9—15.
22.
Pelka, F. (1997). The ABC-CLIO companion to the disability rights movement. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO .
23.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq. (1973)
24.
Scotch, R. (1984). From good will to civil rights: Transforming federal disability policy. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
25.
Scotch, R. (2002). Paradigms of American social research on disability: What's new?Disability Studies Quarterly, 22(2), 23—34.
26.
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, Pub L. No. 106-170 (1990).
27.
U.S. Department of Education. (2003). Evaluation of the title VII, chapter 1 part C Centers for Independent Living program. Washington, DC: Author .
28.
U.S. Department of Education. (2001). The new paradigm on disability: Research issues and approaches. Washington DC: Author.
29.
U.S. Department of Education. (2000). The long-range plan for fiscal years 1999—2003. Washington, DC: Author.
30.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ( 1999). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: Author.
31.
Watson, S. (1993). A study in legislative strategy: Passage of the ADA. In L. O. Gostin & H. Beyer (Eds.), Implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act: Rights and responsibilities of all Americans (pp. 25—34). Baltimore: Brooks.
32.
Whyte, W. F. (Ed.) (1991). Participatory action research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage .
