Over the past two decades, in response to legislation, litigation and resulting policy mandating deinstitutionalization, state policy and plans to assert and assure civil rights of and community supports for adults with developmental disabilities have been advanced throughout the nation. However, implementation of these plans and their effect on individuals with developmental disabilities are rarely scrutinized with empirical, inclusive, systematic inquiry, allowing the potential for the plans to remain as rhetoric rather than producing social action. This paper presents a model approach to evaluating the implementation of state plans and the extent to which they are instrumental in upholding civil rights while simultaneously providing necessary services and supports to adults with developmental disabilities who live in the community. The model illustrates how to involve individuals with developmental disabilities, providers and caregivers in the evaluation of policy and plan implementation, how to report the findings to multiple audiences, insuring accessibility to all interest groups, and how to use the findings to promote civil rights, community living and choice for adults with developmental disabilities. Examples from recent evaluation studies using this model will be advanced to illustrate its application, provide knowledge for critical analysis, and for extrapolation of current and potential uses of inclusive, systematic inquiry in disability policy evaluation to advance productive and participatory community life for adults with developmental disabilities.
Learning Objectives: 1. learn an innovative, inclusive policy evalaution model 2. critically analyze uses of the model
Keywords: Disability Policy,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.