ERIC Number: ED427187
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1998
Pages: 31
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Disability & Literacy. How Disability Issues Are Addressed in Adult Basic Education Programs. Findings of a National Focus Group.
National Inst. for Literacy, Washington, DC.; President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Washington, DC.; Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), Washington, DC.; National Association of State Directors of Adult Education.
A national focus group with 25 participants explored the current state of services for persons with disabilities in adult basic education (ABE) and how the ABE and disability communities could work together to create better service models. It found many states are doing little in this area. Six key findings were as follows: state ABE programs are increasingly aware that a large subset of the population they serve have disabilities that can affect how literacy skills are gained; many states and service programs do not feel their programs have the capacity to provide for needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) and avoid the issue; state agencies do not clearly understand each others' responsibilities and roles in meeting needs of PWDs in their literacy programs; training for state and local administrators and service providers on the laws and instructional interventions related to disabilities is inadequate; meeting needs of persons with learning disabilities is perceived to be more problematic than meeting access needs of persons with physical disabilities; and the current level of disability services in adult literacy programs varies greatly by state. Five steps toward solutions were offered: gain a real picture of what is happening in all states; create ongoing working groups at the state and national levels focused on these issues; develop partnerships to expand resources available for literacy services; work towards developing a means to better identify disabilities; and provide input into state and federal legislation. (Appendixes include a list of participants, federal policy statement, state initiatives, and participant comments.) (YLB)
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Inst. for Literacy, Washington, DC.; President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Washington, DC.; Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), Washington, DC.; National Association of State Directors of Adult Education.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A