Siblings can serve as significant companions and caregivers for individuals with ID throughout the lifespan. Yet, the developmental course of sibling relationships for siblings of individuals with ID has not been well addressed in the current literature. Thus, the current study examined change over time in four dimensions of relationship quality (power, intimacy, conflict, and rivalry) as well as how the constellation variables of sex, birth order, and age differences affected the development of relationship quality. Sibling relationships were found to have a stable power structure, with the nondisabled sibling reporting higher levels of power in the relationship. Developmental trajectories indicated that these relationships grew in positive regard while levels of conflict decreased over time. Yet, behaviors characterizing intimate relationships did not show similar increases. Constellation variables were found to have effects on specific relationship dimensions, including conflict and intimate behaviors.

The Help America Vote Act, passed into law in 2002, mandated that all polling places provide privacy and independence to all voters. Given this, many jurisdictions have been forced into making a choice between providing traditional voting methods (such as paper ballots) and offering newer electronic voting systems. Electronic voting machines have been seen as the solution to many usability and accessibility problems, but very little literature exists to indicate whether this is the case among specific populations such as disabled, elderly, and non-English speaking voters. An audio accessible voting interface for visually disabled voters (CHILVote) was designed using specifications from both the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines and a largescale survey of blind individuals conducted by Piner and Byrne [in proceedings of The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 55th Annual Meeting, pp. 1686-1690 (2011)]. CHILVote’s interface utilizes the given design guidelines and includes use of a male text-to-speech voice, a flexible navigation structure, adjustable speed and volume, and an optional review section. Relatively low error rates (M=1.7%) and high SUS scores (M=89.5) among blind subjects are consistent with previous findings. Error rates and satisfaction are not significantly different than those of sighted voters using both paper and DRE, and blind voters using a non-electronic interface. CHILVote significantly reduced the time it takes for blind subjects to vote, from 25.2 minutes (VotePAD) to 17.1 minutes (CHILVote). This is an improvement, but still over 2.5 times slower than sighted subjects voting on an identical ballot. The integration of accessibility into mainstream technology often has benefits beyond allowing more of the population access to a system. This research provides a comparison point and guidelines for future studies of accessibility solutions.

For years critics have noticed how Jane Austen uses a cold, a sore throat, a sprained ankle, or some other minor affliction (Watson 336) to further the plots of her novels. Although the recurring motif of illness appears to be nothing more than the recording of everyday trivialities, the frequent appearance of illness during the courtship narratives is intriguing. The bodily production of modesty requires the conscious display of delicacy; however, delicacy requires disability in order to be visible to society. Similarly, sensibility also requires the display of delicacy and, by extension, disability. Applying Judith Butlers performance theory to disability, it is possible to analyze the performance of delicacy used in both the production of modesty and sensibility, and thereby understand the degree to which delicacy is a learned performance rather than an innate feminine trait. Austens heroines display varying degrees of affectation of both modesty and sensibility through their performances of delicacy. These performances serve to highlight each heroines degree of modesty and sensibility, as well as to pique the interest ideally, although not always successfully of potential lovers. The performance of disability through delicacy is an essential feature of the temporary invalidism experienced by the heroines during the courtship narratives of Austens novels.

Students with disabilities have to overcome many barriers when attaining post-secondary education. This thesis investigates how programs and policies affect students with disabilities. Using a survey-based research method, the project explores the gap that exists between disability policy and programs at the University of Saskatchewan as perceived students. Discussions with disability service providers also informed the study. A communication disconnect between faculty, service providers, and students was found to be one of the key reasons why the gap between program and policies is increasing as opposed to decreasing. Rather than being reliant on the medical model of disability and integrated approach, which includes more social conceptions of disability, related to delivery of programs should be advocated. Reflection on the current literature related to disability and the findings of this thesis lead to a construction of a model. This model advocates the inclusion of disability studies as an integral part of university curriculum using and interdisciplinary approach. The expanded role of disability studies can have a positive influence on university culture, and improve understandings of disability on university campuses, as well as in the broader social context.

Relationer och sexualitet utgör grundläggande behov för alla människor men detta är något som ofta förbises av omgivningen när det gäller funktionsnedsatta personer. Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur Örebro kommuns ROS- policy för bemötande av brukares känslor, relationer och sexualitet tillämpas i dagliga arbetet på boenden med särskild service inom förvaltningen för funktionshindrade. Studien har haft följande frågeställningar: hur följer medarbetarna ROS- policyn, på vilket sätt kan medarbetarnas förhållningssätt påverka brukarnas möjligheter till relationer och privatliv. För att få svar på forskningsfrågorna användes kvalitativa intervjuer, för att generera uttömmande och detaljerade svar. Intervjuer genomfördes med elva enskilda medarbetare, vilka valts ut genom målinriktat urval via en pedagogisk verksamhetsutvecklare. Av resultatet tolkades att Örebro kommun behöver informera, utbilda samt stötta sina medarbetare ytterligare för att ROS – policyn skall få ökad inverkan i de olika verksamheterna för att i förlängningen öka möjligheterna för brukare att få leva som alla andra. / Relationships and sexuality are among the basic needs of all human beings but this is something that is often overlooked by the social environment concerning for disabled people. The aim of the study was to examine how Örebro (Relations and sexuality) ROS-policy for treatment of the disabled people’s emotions, relationships and sexuality, applied in daily work at accommodation with special services within the administration for the disabled. The research questions in the essay were; how employees follow the ROS-policy, how can employees 'attitudes affect the disabled people’s opportunities for relationships and personal life. In order to obtain answers to the research questions qualitative interview were used to prevail exhaustive and detailed answers. Interviews were conducted with 11 individual respondents, selected through a purposive sampling through an educational activity developer. The result was interpreted and showed that Örebro municipality needs to inform, educate and support their employees furthermore before the ROS-policy could be more influential in the residential caring homes in order to ultimately increase the opportunities for disabled to live like everyone else.

Sammanfattning   Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att beskriva livskvalitet hos personer som genomgått en amputation av en extremitet utifrån ett fysiskt, psykiskt och socialt perspektiv. Sökning av artiklar har utförts i databaserna Medline, Cinahl och genom manuell sökning i några av artiklarnas referenslistor. Sjutton artiklar valdes för analysen, som genomfördes på ett systematiskt arbetssätt där fynden i artiklarnas resultat grupperades i tre huvudkategorier och nio underkategorier. Artiklarnas kvalitet granskades med hjälp av checklistor. Resultatet visade att patienter som amputerats fick hela sin existens förändrad. Faktorer som gav lägre livskvalitet hos patienterna var smärta, sämre fysisk funktion, minskad rörlighet och psykisk ohälsa. En faktor som gav bättre livskvalitet hos patienterna var användning av protes. Bättre livskvalitet hos patienterna uppmättes i områdena arbetsmiljö och tillfredsställelse inom familjelivet, jämfört med icke amputerade personer. Författarna ansåg att efter en amputation så omvärderade patienten olika delar i livet och uppskattade andra saker mer än människor som var friska, som kanske tog dessa för givet.   Nyckelord: Amputation, Livskvalitet, Funktionshinder / Abstract   The aim of this literature study was to describe the quality of life of persons who have undergone an amputation of a limb from a physical, mental and social perspective. Search through Medline, Cinahl databases and additional manual search in some of the articles reference lists was conducted. Seventeen articles were chosen for the analysis, which was carried out through a systematic approach and the findings in the articles results were grouped into three categories and nine subcategories. The quality of the articles was reviewed using checklists. The results showed that patients who had been amputated had their whole existence changed. Factors that resulted in lower quality of life of patients were pain, worse physical function, decreased mobility and mental illness. One factor that resulted in better quality of life for patients was the use of prosthesis. Better quality of life in patients was measured in the areas of work environment and satisfaction in family life compared to the healthy subjects. The authors believed that after an amputation the patient revalued different aspects of life and appreciated other things more than people who are healthy, who might have taken things for granted.   Keywords: Amputation, Quality of Life, Disability

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of social workers in Tennessee towards people with physical disabilities. A non-probability, convenience sample of social workers who were members of the National Association of Social Workers Tennessee Chapter (NASW TN), and accept email communication, were sent the on-line survey. Two hundred sixty five social workers responded to the survey and one hundred sixty eight respondents (N=168) completed the survey in its entirety and were included in analysis. The respondents’ attitudes were assessed as either empowering or oppressive based on concepts and constructs of empowerment and oppression identified by disability scholars and social work researchers in the field of disability. The findings of the individual questions were analyzed. The survey questions worded toward an empowering attitude found that 80% of the subjects answered towards a possible empowering attitude regarding the self-determination of people with physical disabilities. The highest rate of no opinion responses was noticed with the questions related to sexual satisfaction, intimacy and depression. Due to the lack of validity and reliability of the survey tool it would be inappropriate to generalize the results to a broader social work population. The information gathered, however, may serve as a glimpse of the attitudes of social workers in Tennessee towards people with physical disabilities

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-167). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Appendix F in Spanish. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-73). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-166).