published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

The central problem of this study is to identify and develop a model for the administration of rehabilitation services to the handicapped which can be applied to identify needed services in any country, such as Kuwait. The method used in developing the model entailed obtaining basic information about how selected nations administer services for the handicapped through: (1) Published sources and reports; (2) Unpublished material; (3) Interviews of selected officials responsible for the handicapped. The review of literature consists of two parts. Part one reviews organizational strategies: (1) The engineering strategy; (2) The behavioral strategy; (3) The systems strategy. The second part focuses on rehabilitation services in the eight countries selected for this study. These are discussed in the order of their difference from the State of Kuwait: the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Japan, Yugoslavia, Thailand, Kenya, and finally Kuwait. Each is discussed in the following terms: (1) Overview; (2) History of Rehabilitation Services; (3) Structure of Service Delivery System; (4) Legislation of Rehabilitation Services. The study was preceded by an analysis of tasks organized within the framework of the International Classification Matrix Model with a view to establishing an approach to prospective evaluation. A matrix can be defined as a rectangular array of elements arranged in rows and columns; the matrix used in this study was formulated on the basis of information and data collected in the eight selected countries in terms of: (a) General Cultural/Social Orientation Pattern (i) "ascriptive/traditional," (ii) "mixed-attributes," and (iii) "achievement/innovative"); (b) Degree of Cultural Materialism; (c) Cultural Attitude Toward Handicapped; (d) Percent of Population Classified As "Handicapped"; (e) Per Capita Income; (f) General National Political Orientation; (g) General National Administrative Structure; (h) Degree of Bureaucratization; (i) Types of Delivery Service. This study classifies nations for the purposes of general evaluation of their approaches to national administration of services for the handicapped and application of these approaches to a specific country, Kuwait.

This study examined disabled people’s access to independent living in Scotland and Norway. At the time of the field work for this research in 2012, the literature revealed no comparable social enquiry combining the concepts of citizenship, independent living and governance. Within disability studies, independent living denotes a perspective that recognises the interconnected nature of life areas that affect lived experiences of disablement and inclusion of disabled citizens. From the independent living movement, Centres for Inclusive Living emerged as unique governance structures with full service-user involvement and run by disabled people for disabled people. This study focused upon to what extent the organisational governance structures in the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL) and Uloba Centre for Independent Living (Uloba) in Norway facilitate or impede disabled people’s access to independent living. The methodology adopted a mixed methods approach. The central method involved organisational case studies with GCIL and Uloba. This enabled an in-depth qualitative exploration through semi-structured interviews with the case study employees, service-user/co-owners and key experts within each country. In addition, an online survey was distributed to other organisations that operated within the disability field. The analytical framework used an integration of the social relational model of disability (Thomas, 1999) and meso level governance analysis (Lowe, 2004). The social relational model of disability provided structural (macro) and agency (micro) level interpretations and an emphasis on psychosocial elements of disability. It also enabled the synergy of a theory of impairment alongside a theory of disability. Meso (organisational) governance analysis focused attention on the connections between organisations in society. This focus revealed the lateral relationships with other meso level bodies, macro institutions and micro individual action. Research participants prioritised the areas of peer support, accessible housing and personal assistance. Peer support was found to take both informal and formal manifestations and acted as a foundation for the other two areas of independent living. The findings highlighted that Centres for Inclusive Living provide facilitation for access to independent living across macro, meso and micro tiers of society. In particular, empowerment, peer support and user led governance formed key strategies that enhanced disabled people’s access to independent living in Scotland and Norway.

The purpose of this research study was to foster improved intercultural communication and understanding in the studied organizations and to foster diversity related discussion in the Oregon developmental disabilities services industry. Research was conducted by collecting data from 16 human resource managers who work in human services organizations serving people with developmental disabilities. Through the use of an email survey and follow-up telephone interviews with a subgroup ofthe 16 participants, data were gathered regarding participant perspectives on their organizations' diversity initiatives and on their suggestions for effective diversity strategies. Specific areas of focus included: the benefits and barriers to workplace diversity and strategies to foster workplace diversity. The research produced a comprehensive set of strategies that focused on the following six areas: leadership commitment to diversity; organizational commitment to diversity; organizational commitment to diversity training; the modification of human resources practices to accommodate diverse cultural needs; the consideration of alternative service configurations and job descriptions to accommodate different cultural needs; and the development of a comprehensive community outreach program.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

No description available.

Young people who have received special education services in the United States are vastly overrepresented in juvenile and adult criminal justice systems relative to their numbers in the general population. Although much existing research frequently assumes that deficits within young people are the cause of this problem, research also suggests that educational experiences can increase the likelihood that young people will get arrested. However, the exact mechanisms by which time at school seems to lead to prison for so many young people who have received special educational services is unclear. This study uses a Disability Studies (DS) framework to understand this problem. Disability Studies scholars view disability as a social construction; students do not have a disability that justifies differential treatment, they become disabled through school practices that privilege particular norms for doing and being at school. In addition, DS scholars and activists have taken up the mantra, “Nothing about us without us,” insisting that the perspectives of individuals with disabilities be included in any research about disability. This mixed methods study sought to understand both which school-level factors predict arrest for young people receiving special education services and how young people present and explain those and other school-level factors. I conducted regression analysis using administrative data from the New York City Department of Education and New York State Education Department to determine which school-level factors predict arrest, on average, for young people receiving special educational services in New York City’s public secondary schools for one school year. Then, I conducted semi-structured interviews with six young people who have received special education services and been arrested in NYC. This study suggests that school-level factors do significantly increase the likelihood that a school will have students receiving special education services who have been arrested. These school-level factors are alterable by policy and practice. This study further suggests that young people receiving special education services describe and evaluate their educations in relation to imagined “regular” schools rather than according to how their schools actually help or hinder them.

Photocopy of typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries