This study investigated attitudes toward and knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One hundred and thirty-three representatives from the private (for profit) and public (not for profit) sectors completed a series of paper-and-pencil measures. The malleability of ADA attitudes was also examined (70 participants received a negative and 63 participants received a neutral presentation of the ADA). As a whole, participants expressed positive attitudes toward the ADA and disability rights. Predictors of ADA attitudes included type of establishment, malleability of ADA attitudes, and knowledge of this law. More specifically, (a) public sector representatives expressed more favorable attitudes than those from the private sector; (b) participants who received the neutral ADA presentation reported more positive views than those in the negative group; and (c) participants with more ADA knowledge expressed more favorable attitudes than those with less knowledge of this law. Overall, participants demonstrated little knowledge about the ADA. Those with higher levels of academic attainment knew more about the ADA than those with lower levels of academic attainment. Lastly, acculturation to mainstream US culture was positively related to ADA knowledge. Implications of findings and directions for future research are discussed.

This practical manual offers essential information and guidance for anyone involved with ADA issues in higher education settings. Fundamental principles and actual clinical and administrative procedures are outlined for evaluating, documenting, and accommodating a wide range of mental and physical impairments. Contributors draw upon extensive hands-on experience with managing ADA issues to supply helpful diagnostic roadmaps, sample reports, and resource listings. Cutting through the morass of confusion surrounding current disability mandates, this book fills a vital need for mental health clinicians, learning disabilities and rehabilitation specialists, administrators in postsecondary institutions and testing organizations, and legal professionals.

Proposing Empirical Research: A Guide to the Fundamentals provides step-by-step instructions for students who will be writing their first research proposal in the social and behavioral sciences and using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The structure of the book enables students to work independently with confidence while writing the first drafts of their proposals. Each major section is divided into short topics and for each topic, students are asked to complete an exercise that leads them toward the goal of preparing a proposal. Numerous illustrative examples throughout the book make the recommendations for proposal writing come alive. In addition, the 10 model proposals provided at the end of the book illustrate proposal writing and provide material for classroom discussions. New to the Sixth Edition: Updates throughout to reflect research and learning in the digital/online environment, e.g., online surveys, digital organization tools, digital recruitment methods for research, and digital databases, records, and archives. Discussion of qualitative methods. Updated references, model proposals, end of chapter exercises etc. Proposing Empirical Research is ideal for use in research methods classes where students write a proposal as a term project, thesis/dissertation preparation classes, senior research seminars where proposing and conducting research is a culminating undergraduate activity, and any graduate-level seminar in which the instructor wants to incorporate a project that will engage students in critical thinking about the content area.

Disability—as with other marginalized topics in social policy—is at risk for exclusion from social debate. This multivolume reference work provides an overview of challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities and their families at all stages of life. Once primarily thought of as a medical issue, disability is now more widely recognized as a critical issue of identity, personhood, and social justice. By discussing challenges confronting people with disabilities and their families and by collecting numerous accounts of disability experiences, this volume firmly situates disability within broader social movements, policy, and areas of marginalization, providing a critical examination into the lived experiences of people with disabilities and how disability can affect identity. A foundational introduction to disability for a wide audience—from those intimately connected with a person with a disability to those interested in the science behind disability—this collection covers all aspects of disability critical to understanding disability in the United States. Topics covered include characteristics of disability; disability concepts, models, and theories; important historical developments and milestones for people with disabilities; prominent individuals, organizations, and agencies; notable policies and services; and intersections of disability policy with other policy.

"What a marvelous and amazing textbook. Drs. Marini, Glover-Graf and Millington have done a remarkable job in the design of this highly unique book, that comprehensively and very thoughtfully addresses the psychosocial aspects of the disability experience. These highly respected scholars have produced a major work that will be a central text in rehabilitation education for years to come." From the Foreword by Michael J. Leahy, Ph.D., LPC, CRC Office of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Michigan State University "This is an excellent book, but the best parts are the stories of the disabled, which give readers insights into their struggles and triumphs." Score: 94, 4 Stars--Doody's Medical Reviews What are the differences between individuals with disabilities who flourish as opposed to those who never really adjust after a trauma? How are those born with a disability different from individuals who acquire one later in life? This is the first textbook about the psychosocial aspects of disability to provide students and practitioners of rehabilitation counseling with vivid insight into the experience of living with a disability. It features the first-person narratives of 16 people living with a variety of disabling conditions, which are integrated with sociological and societal perspectives toward disability, and strategies for counseling persons with disabilities. Using a minority model perspective to address disability, the book focuses on historical perspectives, cultural variants regarding disability, myths and misconceptions, the attitudes of special interest and occupational groups, the psychology of disability with a focus on positive psychology, and adjustments to disability by the individual and family. A wealth of counseling guidelines and useful strategies are geared specifically to individual disabilities. Key Features: Contains narratives of people living with blindness, hearing impairments, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, polio, mental illness, and other disabilities Provides counseling guidelines and strategies specifically geared toward specific disabilities, including "dos and don'ts" Includes psychological and sociological research relating to individual disabilities Discusses ongoing treatment issues and ethical dilemmas for rehabilitation counselors Presents thought-provoking discussion questions in each chapter Authored by prominent professor and researcher who became disabled as a young adult

The Americans with Disabilities Act was heralded by its congressional sponsors as an emancipation proclamation for people with disabilities and as the most important civil rights legislation passed in a generation. This book offers an assessment of what has actually occurred since the ADA's enactment in 1990. In empirically based articles, contributors from the fields of law, health policy, government, and business reveal the unsoundness of charges from the right that the ADA will bankrupt industry, and assumptions on the left that the ADA will prove ineffective in helping people with disabilities enter and remain in the workforce.

Most people working within the higher education sector understand the importance of making e-learning accessible to students with disabilities, yet it is not always clear exactly how this should be accomplished. E-Learning and Disability in Higher Education evaluates current accessibility practice and critiques the extent to which 'best' practices can be confidently identified and disseminated. This second edition has been fully updated and includes a focus on research that seeks to give 'voice' to disabled students in a way that provides an indispensible insight into their relationship with technologies and the institutions in which they study. Examining the social, educational, and political background behind making online learning accessible in higher and further education, E-Learning and Disability in Higher Education considers the roles and perspectives of the key stake-holders involved in e-learning: lecturers, professors, instructional designers, learning technologists, student support services, staff developers, and senior managers and administrators.

Like no other book available, Working with Students with Disabilities: A Guide for School Counselors provides comprehensive coverage of school counselors’ roles in special education and working with students with disabilities and connects that coverage to both the ASCA national model and CACREP standards. In Working with Students with Disabilities, school counselors will find thoughtful analyses of the legal and regulatory basis for many of the practices in special education, including an overview of pertinent laws including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the leadership role that school counselors should play in supporting students, teachers, and families, and they’ll also come away with an understanding of the common challenges—like bullying, cyberbullying, and successful transitioning from high school to adult life— to which students with disabilities may be more vulnerable, as well as less common challenges such as behavioral difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, and many more.