Person-Centered Advocacy and the New Professional

1
Person-Centered Advocacy and the New
Professional

• Laura Eisenman, Jamie Wolfe,
• Nancy Weiss, Steve Eidelman,
• Lisa Fong
• Center for Disabilities Studies
• University of Delaware

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Background Disabilities Studies Minor

• Open to all undergraduate majors
• Interdisciplinary courses
• 3 required courses Families and Developmental
  Disabilities Exceptional Children and
  Senior Seminar in Disabilities Studies
• 3 elective courses, one from each of the
  following broad topic areas Human Development
  Social Systems Service Delivery Methods
• Focus of Minor
• Learn about people, policies, services, and
  supports
• Promote full participation of people with
  disabilities in all aspects of community

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Senior seminar Before

• Topics
• History of disability rights movement
• (e.g., 504, ADA)
• Current topics
• (e.g., end-of-life decisions veterans issues)
• Cultural shifts
• (e.g., medical model, disability identity)
• Assignments
• Advocacy Website Review
• Legislative Bill Summary Tracking
• Community Program Review
• Seminar Leadership Class Discussion
• Advocacy Project
• Work with a Disability Organization/Agency

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Goals for new senior seminar

• Increase students knowledge of
• Core disability policy themes
• Person-centered planning
• Advocacy and facilitating change
• Help students understand
• Connections among public policy issues and
  day-to-day lives of people with disabilities

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Senior seminar new version

• Course Questions
• Why study disabilities?
• How does public policy affect the lives of people
  with disabilities and their families?
• How do emerging person-centered frameworks in
  policy and practice influence professional roles?
• What types of advocacy have been effective in
  creating significant changes for people with
  disabilities?

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Senior seminar new version
Course Components
Disability Policy Framework
Facilitating Change
Person-Centered Perspectives
Then Now
Changing Images
Advocacy
Critical Topics
Issues
Listening to Stories
Self Local State National Legal
Community Living Employment Education Health
Care
Telling Stories
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NEW Senior seminar assignments

• Discussion Paper
• Core Policy Themes and Topics
• Book Review
• Memoir of person with disability or family member
• Advocacy Project Focus on a Person
• Sample Interview Questions
• Draft Story and Theme
• Draft Policy Points
• Multimedia Oral Presentation
• Policy Paper

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NEW Senior seminar sample advocacy projects

• Seans Journey
• School-to-adult life transition
• Self-directed funding
• Danielle Independent Living
• Directing decisions about ones life
• Community supports
• The Keller Family
• Growing up with autism
• Money follows the person

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Senior Seminar Students self-assessments

• I learned more in depth about the types of
  advocacy and how to help others become their own
  advocates. Furthermore, I gained a greater
  perspective on the power advocacy can have on
  policy and practice change.
• I learned much more about specific policies
  involved in current issues such as money follows
  the person and community services act. Becoming
  more knowledgeable about these issues is
  important to me on a professional and personal
  level. Being informed makes me a better advocate
  and spread the information to others.

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Senior Seminar Students self-assessments

• I learned a lot about advocacy and the different
  strategies for making change in policy. Advocacy
  is very important because it takes a lot of work
  to actually change the system.
• through my project and class readings and
  discussions, Ive identified some areas of needed
  improvement more personal choice availablemore
  focus on teaching advocacy and self-determination
  
• People with disabilities deserve professionals
  in their lives who understand disability policy
  and the importance of person-centered planning.