This article explores philosophical and theoretical frameworks that are useful for the conduct of research with people with disabilities. It then uses these frameworks as a basis for discussion of research practices, with a specific focus on differences that occur because of specific impairments and various cultural meanings of disability. The…

The U.S. government's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that in any given year, 14.8 million American adults (about 6.7 percent of the adult population) suffer from clinical depression or major depressive disorder, as it is sometimes called (NIMH, n.d.). In Canada, a recent study projected the estimate of sufferers much higher…

This article queries how one type of human difference--alterity, the experience of multiple distinct consciousnesses, or "alters," by one person--is pathologized in American culture. This experience is inscribed as a mental illness, labeled now as dissociative identity disorder (DID) and formerly known as multiple personality disorder (MPD). In…

Raising a child has its frustrating moments; parenting a child with special needs multiplies those times, and parents often experience high levels of stress and frustration. In this article, the authors explore the challenges of parenting a child with special needs and the trials and errors of finding appropriate skills to assist in their…

This article presents issues related to disabled military servicemen and women who are transitioning to civilian life. The emphasis is on the experience of veterans serving in the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as they reintegrate into civilian workplace and learning environments. The authors begin with an…

Since the 1980s, educators in adult basic education and special education have speculated that a substantial if unknown percentage of adults have specific learning disabilities (LDs) and have sought to identify and address effectively the needs of these learners. Two rarely intersecting bodies of historical literature on LDs provide the background…

This article provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 2008 amendments to the act (ADAAA) as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The article describes the major sections of the ADA, addresses the changes brought about to the ADA and Section 504 as a result of the ADAAA, reviews the outcome of…

Disability is not something one experiences in isolation of other characteristics. Sociocultural characteristics, such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability, interact with each other in various combinations forming unique adults. When interacting with other characteristics, disability can dominate the other…

In this article, the author begins by providing an overview of the literature on wisdom itself and then considers what some of its insights might suggest for dealing with a few current challenges facing the field of adult education. This article is grounded in two basic assumptions: (1) that there is an integration quality to wisdom that attends…

In adult education, there has recently been a recognition of the body's role in adult learning. Attention to neuroscience is somewhat limited, though is emerging. These two perspectives are not integrated. With this article, the author argues that adult education must look to science to achieve a deeper understanding of the evolving…

This article invokes the spirit of "Sophia" as metaphorical guide for an ongoing reclamation of wisdom spaces and describes a path for educators and practitioners that can assist in the recovery of wisdom in the face of increasing pressures of measurable outcomes within the field of lifelong learning. The authors first examine wisdom within adult…

Because wisdom is such a complex and multidimensional construct, it is difficult to study, much less to define. Based on the author's understanding, her definition of wisdom is as follows: "Wisdom is about human flourishing; it is having sufficient awareness in various situations and contexts to act in ways that enhance our common humanity." This…

Wisdom enables people to lead a good life. The pursuit of wisdom is an important goal for adult education, and adult education is important for developing wisdom in individuals and communities. The good life for humankind is threatened by global warming, shortages of natural resources, cultural and religious conflicts, and financial crises, and…

Educating adults to tap into the wisdom of their inner life can happen in many contexts: (1) higher education classrooms; (2) workshop and retreat settings; and (3) psychotherapy settings. Adults can also facilitate the development of their inner life through various self-directed learning efforts, by learning from life experience, and through…

This article arises from dialogue culled from a yearlong doctoral seminar in which both authors participated. The authors are both African ascendant women who teach and learn in a higher education setting. As one of the professors who co-taught the seminar (Cynthia) and a college administrator who was a doctoral student at the time of the seminar…