Schaffer v. Weast’s Effects on California Special Education Hearing Decisions

This research examined the associations between Schaffer v. Weast (2005) and special education due process hearing decisions in California. Using a database we coded from the state’s due process hearings for cases which reached a decision (years 1995–2019), this study analyzed (1) how legal representation and the filing party affected the probability of the student fully or partially prevailing in these cases, and (2) how Schaffer affected student representation and the prevailing party before and after this ruling. The results indicate that while students were statistically as likely to be plaintiffs and/or represented by an attorney before and after the 2005 time break in the study, the decision raised the bar for students as the likelihood of favorable outcomes for students fell significantly in the wake of the ruling.

Mapping of Financial Support Programs for Children With Neurodisabilities Across Canada: Barriers and Discrepancies Within a Patchwork System

A cross-jurisdictional pan-Canadian environmental scan was conducted to identify provincial, territorial, and federal financial supports available to families with children living with neurodisabilities. In partnership with the organization Childhood Disability LINK, flowchart-styled pathway documents were developed for each financial support identified, mapping out the processes required to access each support. A critical analysis was completed as it relates to structural barriers, accessibility of program information and geographic discrepancies. The results revealed that, despite almost universal availability of programs to support families of children living with neurodisabilities, significant barriers and inequity remain. This included considerable variation in access to financial support based on geographic and jurisdictional discrepancies, absence of adequate and accurate information about programs, and minimal support provided to families in the application process. We argue that the barriers and discrepancies identified were an inherent result of the Canadian federalist fragmentation of the delivery of social care and financial support programs for children living with neurodisabilities. A more unified response by Canadian provincial, territorial, and federal governments is clearly needed to take positive steps to address the consequences of federalist fragmentation and respond to the structural barriers and geographic discrepancies identified by this study.

Using Implementation Science Active Implementation Frameworks to Implement an Instructional Framework to Increase Teacher Capacity for Instructional Access for Students With Disabilities

This article discusses the use of the Active Implementation Frameworks (AIF; Fixsen et al., 2005; Fixsen & Blasé, 2011) in a grant-funded project to implement the use of Universal Design for Learning as an instructional intervention to improve the access to quality instruction for students with disabilities. The discussion is based upon data specific to the AIF Implementation Drivers that facilitate and ensure the success of initiatives. The data illustrate the extent that characteristics of the respective schools and districts participating in the project impacted the fidelity of implementation processes and their associated outcomes.

Leadership as an Implementation Driver: Identifying Best Practices to Support Organizational Change

This article explores implementation science with a focus on the strategies leaders use to address organizational challenges. Part of a larger study, we employed a qualitative multiple case study design of 20 charter schools to contribute to an evidence base about how leadership at the charter school and charter management organization levels can influence their school communities regarding commitment to students with disabilities. From our exploratory research, key themes emerged that align with effective leadership strategies for implementation demonstrating the positive influence of leaders who prioritize students with disabilities by maintaining a clear vision and strong sense of purpose, creating a safe environment where diversity of perspectives is encouraged, and making sure all voices are heard and valued. Public schools across the nation can leverage lessons learned from the charter sector, as leaders work to ensure that their school practices and policies support success for students with disabilities. By ensuring that school leaders are trained and supported to use effective leadership strategies, policymakers, and schools of higher education can influence the adoption and advancement of innovative and effective practices.

The Bangladeshi Rights and Protection of Persons With Disability Act of 2013: A Policy Analysis

The government of Bangladesh enacted the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disability Act of 2013 (the Act) in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This article sheds light on the Act with particular emphasis on (a) support offered to children with disabilities (CWDs) and their families to address their needs; and (b) the extent to which the Act is in line with the international disability policy analysis framework. We compared the Act with the 18 core concepts of disability policy developed by Turnbull et al. The results affirm the government’s effort toward Sustainable Development Goals in providing support to CWDs and their families. They indicate a high degree of congruency of the Act with the core concepts. The findings also highlight the need to embrace the concept of autonomy, confidentiality, and family-centeredness in great detail in any policy initiatives pertaining to CWDs. Furthermore, the finding shows that collaboration and coordination among ministries are imperative to achieve the goal of policies related to disability. In addition, the results highlight the need for more budgetary allocation and robust monitoring systems to track the progress of policy initiatives. As policy implementation is affected by changes in global contexts such as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, policymakers in Bangladesh and other low-and middle-income countries should ensure that emergency responses are disability-inclusive and appropriate for CWDs. To ensure a disability-inclusive response, it is critical to engage individuals with disabilities and their families in meaningful consultations to identify their needs.

Reforming Teacher and Leader Preparation to Improve Instruction and Schooling for Students With Disabilities: The CEEDAR Way

Effective preparation systems are critical for preparing teachers and school leaders who have the knowledge and skills to educate students with disabilities to achieve college and career ready standards. These systems must provide teachers and leaders with effective practice-based opportunities to learn about evidence-based and high-leverage practices in their initial preparation and throughout their careers. Creating such systems, however, depends on comprehensive systems change where aligned research-based policy and preparation/induction practices are implemented in higher education and k-12 schools. This article describes the ingredients of effective systems change, and how the CEEDAR Center TA approach is informed by implementation drivers, as articulated by the National Implementation Research Network. The outcomes achieved by the Center thus far are also articulated as are challenges encountered.

From Substitute to Supported Decision-Making: Participatory Action Research on the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities

In this article, we present findings from a participatory action-research program in France on the exercise of human rights and supported and substitute decision-making, inspired by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”). Bringing together persons with the lived experience of disability, academics, and health and social care and support professionals, the project used the method of “experience-based construction of public problem” to transform experience into collective expertise. This enabled the exploration of support that people in vulnerable situations, whose capacity to exercise their human rights has weakened, need to make decisions in their lives and participate meaningfully in public debate. The relationship between the awareness of rights and exercise of rights is discussed. We argue for the need to balance out the positions of different contributors in participatory action research, in a reasoned manner, by recognizing the scientific and citizen-based participation of all partners.

“So Glad to Be Home”: Money Follows the Person Participants’ Experiences After Transitioning Out of an Institution

This study examined qualitative data from participants who transitioned from institutional to community living through the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration in Connecticut. As part of the MFP quality of life survey, 1,566 participants provided qualitative feedback about their experiences at 6-, 12-, and 24-month time points after transition. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs serves as a thematic framework to analyze the data. In their open-ended comments, many participants underscored the efficacy of the program and offered constructive feedback; some people also reported barriers and challenges to community living. While MFP participants generally report high satisfaction with the program, both in Connecticut and nationally, some participants identified areas of unmet need, including housing, transportation, and workforce issues. Findings have the potential to expand stakeholders’ understanding of participants’ needs and facilitate policies to improve services and supports for older adults and people living with disabilities who return to community living following institutionalization.

The Extra Costs Associated With Living With a Disability in the United States

People with disabilities encounter many financial expenses that those without disabilities do not incur. In this article, we provide estimates of the extra costs associated with living with a disability in the United States. Drawing on four nationally representative surveys, we estimate that a household containing an adult with a work disability requires, on average, 29% more income (or an additional $18,322 a year for a household at the median income level) to obtain the same standard of living as a comparable household without a member with a disability. Single adults with disabilities are estimated to have higher costs than those with disabilities who are married, and adults with cognitive impairments are estimated to have higher costs compared to those with other kinds of impairments. We further calculate the federal poverty rate for households that include adults with disabilities adjusted for the direct additional costs of disability. The rate rises from 24% to 35% after adjusting for the extra costs of disability, which would result in an estimated 2.2 million more people with disabilities counted as poor. This suggests that the official poverty measure in the United States substantially underestimates the degree of deprivation experienced by people with disabilities.

Rethinking Management Information Systems for Scaling up Employment Outcomes

People with intellectual disability, autism, and other developmental disabilities have successfully demonstrated their ability to work in the general labor market. Yet, their employment rate remains substantially lower compared with the general population without disabilities. Scaling up the employment outcomes of this population requires improving the effectiveness and efficiency of employment support systems. To this end, this article recommends supporting employment providers rethink how they use their management information systems (MIS): from primary tools that automate billing and compliance, to tools that track metrics for continuous quality improvement. As federal and state funding policies are the main factors shaping how MIS are currently used, this article recommends that federal and state policy guidelines be issued that enable employment providers to leverage their MIS to improve effectiveness and efficiency, and thus scale up employment outcomes of job seekers.