The following is a list of downloadable RTC/IL documents, which also are offered in alternate formats. ( View Policy on Insuring Access to Information to learn more about our publication accessibility.)

Also view What CILs Need to Know About People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, What CILs Need to Know About People With Fibromylagia, and What CILs Need to Know About People With Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

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ACCESSIBILITY
Removing Environmental Barriers: Independent Living for People With Psychiatric Disabilities
      In this webcast, researchers discuss their project focused on helping people learn about grocery store use and providing them with adaptations. Presenters: T. Brown, M. Rempfer, and E. Sheils


ADVOCACY
Action Letter Portfolio
      This self-administered training manual designed to teach people with disabilities and others to write effective advocacy letters contains worksheets, exemplary letters, a reference section with information on disability policy, and information on analyzing disability concerns. Authors: G. White, D. Nary, R. Allada, K. Golden, R. Thomson, and K. Froehlich

Advocacy Skills in Action
      Advocacy groups can assign individuals to monitor community events and report relevant issues back to the group, which then holds meetings to analyze issues, plan appropriate actions, stimulate commitment for implementing projects, and review the results of their efforts as described in this RTC/IL Forum newsletter article. Authors: F. Balcazar and T. Seekins

A Guide for Personal Testimony: The Art of Using Your Personal Experiences to Influence Policy Decisions
      Because the quality of life in any community is partially determined by its laws and policies, this booklet shows how to testify to help those making decisions understand issues in personal terms. Authors: T. Seekins and S. Fawcett

A Guide to Writing Letters to Public Officials
      Expressing your opinion can influence decisions made in your community, and this booklet explains what, why, and how to write letters that can make a difference. Authors: T. Seekins and S. Fawcett

A Guide to Writing Letters to the Editor
      Learning how to write a letter to the local media as illustrated in this publication can make a difference in issues concerning you. Authors: T. Seekins and S.B. Fawcett

A People’s History of the Independent Living Movement
      A who’s who of advocates starting with Gini Laurie, this lively history chronicles the independent living movement through those who campaigned for disability rights and services. Author: C. Levy

Communication Skills Smooth Way for Advocates
      The guidelines presented in this RTC/IL Forum article characterize successful advocacy efforts. Authors: T. Seekins and F. Balcazar

Group Takes Action on Parking Problem
      To solve the problem of handicapped parking experienced by citizens with disabilities, an advocacy group devised a successful action plan described in this RTC/IL Forum article. Authors: Y. Suarez de Balcazar and S. Fawcett

The No Know Way Guide
      Offering practical information on understanding why research is useful, this resource booklet describes what research is and teaches readers where to find research information and how to use it. Authors: K. Klatt, R. Martin, R. Buchanan, and G.W. White

Taking Action on the Issue of Handicapped Parking
      Based on the experiences of several communities in discussing parking and a year-long action project by a Consumer Advisory Committee in one of the cities, this guide describes a method to help consumers act on local handicapped parking issues. Authors: Y. Suarez de Balcazar and S. B. Fawcett


EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Assessing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Persons with Disabilities: Final Report
      This report describes research findings from a Gulf Coast study detailing the response of the disability community to Hurricane Katrina. Authors: G. W. White, M. H. Fox, C. Rooney, and A. Cahill. Also view Executive Summary.

Individual Disaster Preparedness Community Disaster PreparednessIndividual Disaster Preparedness Community Disaster Preparedness
      Order these 18 x 24 posters at http://www.nobodyleftbehind2.org/findings/NLB_order.shtml

Tips for First Responders
Tips for First RespondersAn 11-page, color-coded, laminated 4.5 x 5.5-inch field guide, this publication offers information on assisting persons with a wide range of disabilities, including seniors, people with service animals, people with mobility challenges, people with mental illness, people with visual impairment or blindness, people with deafness, and people with cognitive disabilities. Order at http://cdd.unm.edu/products/TipsForFirstResponders.htm

Also see http://www.nobodyleftbehind2.org/resources/


EMPLOYMENT
Learning Job Finding Skills
      Although dated, this manual provides detailed instructions, examples, study guides, and practice situations, and feedback mechanisms applicable to finding, applying, and getting a job. Authors: R. Mark Mathews, P. Whang, and S. Fawcett


FULL PARTICIPATION
Full Participation in Independent Living: Are We Making Progress?
      An overview of the NIDRR-funded Research and Training Center on Full Participation in Independent Living (RTCFPIL) at the University of Kansas is discussed in this webcast in addition to preliminary data from its first three research projects. Presenters: G. White and D. Nary

Advocacy and Research for the 21st Century: Interviews with Key Disability Rights Informants
      Through 30-minute telephone interviews, key informants with 16 disability advocacy and research organizations — half were visible leaders in shaping national disability policy during and after passage of the ADA, half were state and local leaders who represented constituencies who had not had a visible presence at the national level — discussed their top five research and advocacy priorities for the next ten years in this report and how they thought research could advance the disability advocacy agenda. Authors: B. O’Day and M. Goldstein. View at http://www.rtcfpil.org/training/RTCtraining3.shtml

One-Stop Center Training Series
      Divided into sections, this manual includes One-Stop information for centers for independent living, outreach to underserved groups, staff development for One-Stops, using mystery customers to assess One-Stop services, and newsletter articles for use. View at http://www.rtcfpil.org/training/RTCtraining4_5.shtml

Tribal Disability Concerns Report Method: Respecting Sovereignty and Building
      Describing a process to identify and involve American Indians in research and to address their tribe’s issues, this report presents and overview of the process, examples, and additional resources. Author: H. Scalpcane

Training Consumers with Acquired Brain Injuries to Serve on ILC Committees and Boards
      This manual explains how a meeting is run and the various tasks that go into making a meeting productive. Authors: K. Froehlich, G. White, and R. Gutierrez


HEALTH ISSUES

Taking Charge of Your Health (in Spanish)
      People with disabilities face health challenges addressed in this lively booklet that also offers information on daily health choices and medical rights. Authors: K. Froehlich-Grobe and X. Ilabaca-Somoza

Executive Summary: Developing an Action Plan to Improve the Quality and the Quantity of Data About Paralysis.
      These recommendations focus on methods to collect information on paralysis. Authors: M. Fox, J. Rowland, D. Vernberg, K. Grobe, G. White, & A. Rosdahl.

Spinal Cord Injury: You Do Have Choices
      This resource manual presents information that will allow SCI survivors and those close to them to be informed about acute care and the rehabilitation process and to have some sense of control over their life.

Health Promotion for Persons With Disabilities and Prevention of Secondary Conditions: Executive Report
      Results from this randomized-controlled clinical trial that assessed the effectiveness of an intervention over six months to promote physical activity by women with mobility impairments are presented in this report.

Exercise for People With Disabilities: Getting Started on Your Fitness Plan
      With useful strategies to become more physically active and ways to eliminate barriers to exercise, this manual discusses the five activity categories—aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, weigh-bearing exercise, and skill-related exercise—and what can be done for exercise in each area. Authors: K. Froehlich, S. Figoni, T. Chase, L. Gonzales, C. Thompson, D. Nary, and G. White.

Home Physical Activities Programs for People With Physical Disabilities
      Shown in this how-to guide is what you need to know to devise a low-cost, home-based, customized physical activity program for people with physical disabilities to boost their endurance and strength for independent living. Author: D. Nary

In-Home, Physical Activity, and Independent Living: What’s the Connection
      Specific research projects involving home physical activity programs are discussed in this transcript of a 2002 webcast. Presenters: Katherine Froehlich Grobe and Dorothy Nary

Living by Chance Not Choice: Stories of Kansans Affected by Budget Cuts
      This booklet contains the stories and photos of 35 Kansans with disabilities and explains how cuts to Medicaid HCBS programs and other services endangers the independence, full participation, and in some situations, the lives of people with disabilities. View at http://www.silck.org/LBC1.htm

Partnering With Public Health: Funding and Advocacy Opportunities for CILs and SILCs
      A former director of the Office of Health and Disability at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, discusses how CILs and SILCs can use funding from the Centers for Disease Control and partnerships with public health agencies to provide innovative programs promoting the health of people with disabilities. Author: L. Rauscher

Pressure Ulcer Review: Selected Annotations, Critiques, and Bibliography
      Prepared for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, this publication examines literature relating to pressure sores. Authors: G. White, D. Nary, K. Froehlich, J. Steward, and R. Gutierrez.

Secondary Condition booklets
       Containing consumer-friendly information on the prevention of secondary conditions affecting people with mobility impairments, these booklets include a glossary of relevant terms.

Bowel Dysfunction (in Spanish)
Chronic Pain Management (in Spanish)
Chronic Fatigue (in Spanish)
Contractures (in Spanish)
Deconditioning and Weight Gain (in Spanish)
Joint Problems (in Spanish)
Pressure Sores (in Spanish)
SCI and Aging (in Spanish)
SCI & Depression (in Spanish)
Spasticity (in Spanish)
Urinary Tract Infections (in Spanish)
SCI & Sexuality (in Spanish)


IL PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
Classics from the past:
A Social Psychological Perspective
      An examination of the social experiment of independent living from an experimental social psychological perspective begins with the basic human need for independence is the premise of this monograph. Author: F. X. Gibbons

Disincentives to Independent Living
      Our social structure is replete with subtle, covert, and clear incentives and disincentives to shape and maintain valued behaviors that are valued, which are examined here in this monograph in light of the social and economic consequences associated with them. Author: I.K. Zola

Economics and Independent Living
      Drawing upon the independent living movement and the writings of social historian Alvin Toffler, Gerben DeJong presents an argument that economic independence is as important, and in some circumstances more important, than more traditional health outcomes such as performance of basic daily living activities. Author: G. DeJong

Ed Roberts: His Words, His Vision
Text Box:  This 9-minute, close-captioned program produced in 2003 features excerpts from a speech delivered by Ed Roberts, considered the “father” of independent living, in which Roberts discusses the beginning of the IL movement and his vision of how society will be changed by it. Interspersed throughout are contemporary still photos of disability activists by Tom Olint. Recommended for class discussions and trainings. Please specify VHS or DVD format on order form. $49.95, 8 ozs.  


INTERNATIONAL

Identification of Exemplary European Practices Reducing Incidence of Secondary Disabilities in People with Disabilities
      For one month, Glen White visited Great Britain, Holland, and Sweden to discover best practices in independent living and secondary disability prevention, which he discusses in this publication. Author: G. White


MEDIA

Effective and Efficient Research Translation for General Audiences: Literature Review and Recommendations
      More than 50 resources were used to produce this synthesis of best practices used in scientific reporting and effective mass audience outreach. Author: C. Higgins

Guidelines for Reporting and Writing About People With Disabilities
      A RTC/IL classic that reflects input from more than 100 national disability groups and has been adopted by the Associated Press Stylebook, American Psychological Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Society, this brochure offers preferred language, style, and appropriate portrayals of people with disabilities. Cost of brochures: 1 booklet: $1 includes shipping/handling; rates for multiple copies (less shipping/handling) are:  2 - 100: $.65 each; 101 - 1000: $.55 each; 1,001 and over: $.50 each. Postage: 2 - 15 Add: $2; 16 - 32  Add: $3.25; 33 - 49  Add: $4.25; 50-100 Add: $5.50; 101 - 200  Add: $7; 201 - 400  Add: $11; 401 - 600  Add: $15.50; 601 - 1000  Add: $18; orders over 1000 add $10 per thousand.  Include $2 handling charge to each order.
 
      An accompanying 18" x 24" poster (Your Words/Our Image) (1 lb.) that lists negative and positive terminology in reference to people with disabilities also is available for sale for $15 each plus a $2 handing fee ($17 total), which includes shipping. Contact us for special rates on bulk orders. International orders will be billed actual shipping charges, plus insurance, plus $3 handling fee. For shipments to countries where U.S. Postal Service will not insure delivery, we will ship only if you are willing to assume responsibility for loss. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

How-To Guide: Condensing and Translating “Researchese” for the General Public
      This manual offers writing tips to package research findings for maximum audience impact and includes numerous examples. Author: C. Higgins

Saying the Right Things and Saying Things Right
      Barriers and solutions in reaching general audiences to present research results are discussed in this webcast. Presenters: J. Budde and C. Higgins

"Sticks and Stones” . . . and Words CAN Hurt: Eliminating Handicapping Language
      Words — both positive and negative — used in reference to people with disabilities are discussed in this report. Authors: A. Darrow and G. White

Writing for the Non-Researchers: Sharing Your Findings With a Larger Audience
      Designed as a three-panel brochure, this brief publication summarizes best practices of science journalism.


PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

A Step-by-Step Guide to Training and Managing Personal Assistants: Consumer Guide
      A RTC/IL best-seller, this updated manual offers practical information on hiring, training, managing, and retaining personal assistants. Authors: G. Ulicny, A. Adler, S. Kennedy, and M. Jones

A Step-by-Step Guide to Training and Managing Personal Assistants: Consumer Guide: Agency Guide
      This manual helps center for independent living staff assist consumers in managing personal assistants. Authors: G. Ulicny, A. Adler, S. Kennedy, and M. Jones


PUBLIC POLICY

Mental Disability and the ADA: Public Policy in the Courtroom
      Beginning with a brief overview of the Americans With Disabilities Act, this paper explores the issues of disability, direct threat, and reasonable accommodations as they apply to people with psychiatric disabilities with an emphasis on relevant court decisions. Author: M. Rempfer

Building Consumer Consensus on IL Using the Concerns Report
      By asking people with mental retardation, brain injury, and psychiatric disabilities to identify their independent living needs, a method to develop interventions and accommodations that will result in increased and improved center for independent living services was illustrated. Author: J. G. Youngbauer


SERVICE PROVISION

First Impressions: Maintaining Courteous Treatment of Human Service Clients
      Providing services to people with disabilities is detailed in this resource-stocked manual. Authors: M. Johnson and S. Fawcett.

Fundraising for Independent Living Centers
      Starting off by identifying barriers to successful fundraising and setting up basic management systems, this manual explains incorporation, acquiring tax-exempt status, developing the feasibility study, summary of fundraising methods, organizational structures for fundraising, putting policy into words, and working with consultants. Author: J. Hannah

Meshing IL With Occupational Therapy
      Does occupational therapy subscribe as a field to the IL movement and is there a role for it within a consumer-based model?; the very philosophy of occupational therapy is one of its strongest defenses to such accusations argues this article. Author: S. Kennedy

Serving Consumers With Psychiatric Disabilities: Common Sense Accommodations and Strategies
      This resource guide provides helpful strategies for people who work with individuals with psychiatric disabilities in centers for independent living and other consumer-oriented agencies. Authors: M. Rempfer, L. Smith, and S. Wendt

Strategies for Assisting People with Traumatic Brain Injuries
      The purpose of this manual is to provide a user-friendly guide for individuals assisting people with traumatic brain injuries in home and independent living center environments. Author: K. Adkins

Strategies for Reaching Out to Minority Individuals With Disabilities
      Among the problems faced by many minority persons with disabilities discussed in this article that originally appeared in the 2001 Research Exchange 6(2) is the lack of coordinated attention of many programs and professionals from multiple disciplines. Author: F. Balcazar


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