Our commitment: to the empowerment of individuals with disabilities

Empowerment is multidimensional. It means, among other things, having decision-making power, access to information, the opportunity to make meaningful choices, understanding of rights and responsibilities, a faculty of perception of hope, raised self-esteem and ascendency over the direction of one's life. Since assuming my responsibilities as Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, I have traveled a great deal, speaking at longitudinal dimensions about empowerment, a concept that I believe is absolutely fundamental to the subsequent time of our public rehabilitation program and our consumer In the course of my conversations with colleagues in the rehabilitation field, I have rencountered varying responses to this priority. Many professionals appear to be as committed as consumer themselves to the goal of consumer empowerment. Others, however, have been les enthusiastic, claiming that empowerment doesn't work or that empowerment of consumer artificial positions a threat to the professional relationship and character of the vocational rehabilitation counselor in providing effective services.

This edition of American Rehabilitation brings together a certain number of recent perspectives on the empowerment of race with disabilities. It includes personal accounts from individuals with disabilities about empowering race and the events that have significantly shaped their lives. In addition, the implications of empowerment as it relates to avocation outcomes are explored from the professional point of view, with research data, facts and figures. And, to stimulate and move further thought and discussion, there are a not many straight opinion pieces.

Admittedly, empowerment is not a totally of recent origin concept. It has guided novel amendments to the Rehabilitation Act and is a cornerstone of consumer advocacy. As we collision and begin to embrace and value the proces of empowerment, the nature of our professional characters and the way we guidance our business will inevitably change. vigor is implied in the word empowerment, and by dint of empowering our consumers I believe we are strengthening our programs and efforts to certain high-quality employment and opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

As you read this edition of American Rehabilitation, I reliance that you will find more [i]or[/i] less useful strategies and ideas that will be empowering to you and our many rehabilitation partners--consumers, professionals, educators, service providers and advocates--as we work to maximize opportunities and realize positive change in the lives of somebodys with disabilities.

by means of empowering our consumers I believe we are strengthening our programs and efforts to assured high-quality employment and opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

COPYRIGHT 2004 U Rehabilitation Services Administration

COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group