Advocacy Issues and Strategies for the 21st Century

Abstract

The authors conducted key informant interviews with 16 disability advocacy and research leaders; half of the interviews were with leaders in shaping national disability policy during and after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and half were with state and local leaders representing constituencies who had not had a visible presence at the national level. During audiotaped telephone interviews, we asked the informants to identify the top 5 advocacy priorities for the next 10 years, as well as what strategies they thought could advance the disability advocacy agenda. Two overarching themes emerged: the impact of poverty among people with disabilities and the connections among various advocacy issues. The authors discuss the 5 issues most often cited by the participants, as well as issues particular to various constituencies, and draw conclusions about what strategies would advance the disability agenda.