Understanding Self-Determination

Abstract

Describes the background and history of the self-determination movement for people with disabilities, focusing on individuals with Down syndrome. The movement strives for full community inclusions of disabled individuals. The authors describe a community-inclusion experiment conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the national initiative that emerged from the project. The authors discuss the experience over five years of demonstrations. Ideas emerging from the project, such as individual budgets, independent support coordination, and fiscal intermediaries. The authors examine the implications of this for self-determination and set an agenda for future work.