Nonviolent action, well planned and implemented, is shown in this lucid, timely, and compelling work to effect dramatic outcomes against opponents utilizing violence. Ackerman and Kruegler recognize that not all nonviolent efforts meet with success and they are careful to stress that a nonviolent approach involves great risks as well as opportunities. It is the effectiveness of the strategies employed which will determine whether those using nonviolent means can prevail against opponents who rely on violence in pursuit of objectives. Twelve principles of strategic nonviolence are established in this book--they serve as a conceptual foundation and enhance the prospects of success in nonviolent campaigns of resistance.

First published in 1946 and updated in 1969 with a new Introduction and Afterword, this volume represents the fullest statement of the political philosophy and practical methodology of one of the most important figures in the history of American radicalism. Like Thomas Paine before him, Saul Alinsky, through the concept and practice of community organizing, was able to embody for his era both the urgency of radical political action and the imperative of rational political discourse. His work and writing bequeathed a new method and style of social change to American communities that will remain a permanent part of the American political landscape.

This primer tells the "have-nots" how they can organize to achieve real political power for the practice of true democracy.

Now in its third edition, Negotiating the Special Education Maze is one of the best tools available to parents and teachers for developing an effective education program for their child or student. Every step is explained, from eligibility and evaluation to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and beyond. This edition covers changes in disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It reviews early intervention services for children from birth to age three, and for those who have young adults with special needs, it also covers transitioning out of school. AUTHOR BIO: Winifred G. Anderson, Stephen R. Chitwood, and Deidre Hayden all worked previously at the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC), a training and information center for families and professionals who work with children and youth with disabilities in Alexandria, Virginia. PEATC was founded by Anderson and Chitwood. The authors continue to work in the field of special education and the law.

Reviewing and drafting IEPs can be very daunting. This book helps the reader (whether parent, school official, or legal professional) understand the IEP process.

This inspiring resource shows parents of children with disabilities how to obtain the educational services their children rightfully deserve. It examines the internal workings of the education system, reveals the challenges that await, lists the services that are available, and discusses the rights that are federally guaranteed. Complete with a resource list, directions for filing a complaint, and explanations of relevant legislation and regulations, this powerful handbook can make a difference for parents as well as educators.

Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability is an essential book for anyone dealing with a long-term or permanent disability. Written both for first-time applicants and those who already receive Social Security Disability, Dr. David Morton's book demystifies the program in plain English, thoroughly explaining: *what Social Security disability is *what benefits are available to disabled children *how to prove a disability *how age, education and work experience affect benefits *whether or not one can work while receiving benefits *how to appeal a denial of benefits *how to respond to a Continuing Disability Review *and much more Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability also provides in-depth information on various health problems, including breathing disabilities, heart disease, mental disorders, speech impairments, cancer, immune system disorders -- and much more The 2nd edition, completely updated with the latest rules and medical listings, provides new information on handling appeals hearings, and shows how to participate in the Ticket to Work and Ticket to Hire programs. User-friendly appendices translate bureaucratic terms, provide medical-vocational rules, and list Social Security benefit publications.

Rights of Inclusion provides an innovative, accessible perspective on how civil rights legislation affects the lives of ordinary Americans. Based on eye-opening and deeply moving interviews with intended beneficiaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), David M. Engel and Frank W. Munger argue for a radically new understanding of rights-one that focuses on their role in everyday lives rather than in formal legal claims. Although all sixty interviewees had experienced discrimination, none had filed a formal protest or lawsuit. Nevertheless, civil rights played a crucial role in their lives. Rights improved their self-image, enhanced their career aspirations, and altered the perceptions and assumptions of their employers and coworkers-in effect producing more inclusive institutional arrangements. Focusing on these long-term life histories, Engel and Munger incisively show how rights and identity affect one another over time and how that interaction ultimately determines the success of laws such as the ADA.

No matter what your political persuasion, The One-Hour Activist is your guide to influencing lawmakers, candidates, and reporters. The One-Hour Activist reveals fifteen powerful, proven grassroots actions that persuade lawmakers and candidates to see things your way. Each action is designed to grab the attention of your representatives and build relationships that serve your issues over the long run. And each action takes less than an hour to complete, so you can make a difference without giving up your life! The One-Hour Activist is packed with insider advice from elected officials, professional organizers, lobbyists, and journalists who share state-of-the-art tips for getting your message across. Real-life examples of effective letters, e-mail, phone calls, public testimony, and news story pitches from concerned citizens just like you illustrate the actions.

The guide that every parent must have! Gary Mayerson has devoted his career in law to helping children with autism get the fair and appropriate education that they need and deserve. In this field guide, he brings parents up to speed quickly and efficiently on the ways educational bureaucracies work -- or more importantly, don’t -- for children with special needs. In addition to providing inside information on the "must-do’s" and "must don’ts" in advocating for your child in the educational system, there are also strategies on how to prepare for an IEP meeting, what to do when children don’t get crucial services, and how to avoid due process. Armed with solid information, parents will be empowered with all of the tools they need to advocate for their child’s education. The practical and straightforward approaches presented in this must-have guide are not only applicable to children with autism spectrum disorders, but to children with any disability.

Parents of children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome frequently find themselves embarking on an exhausting and disheartening hunt for the services and interventions that their child needs -- and is entitled to. Gretchen Mertz presents a readable and comprehensive parent's guide to developing an intervention program for a child with AS. Beginning with the search for a diagnosis, she outlines an accessible overview of the helpful and appropriate services that are available, how to find them and get funding for them, what to expect of them, and how to evaluate them. The issues raised and the information given will be pertinent to any parent of a child that has (or may have) AS. It will also be an invaluable resource for social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists who wish to find or offer appropriate support for children with Asperger's Syndrome.

Fear, rage, courage, discrimination. These are facts of everyday life for many Americans with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made working, traveling, and communicating easier for many individuals. But has this significant piece of civil rights legislation helped those with disabilities become fully accepted members of society? How does an individual deal with discriminatory situations that the law cannot, does not, or will not cover? What is life like in post-ADA America? The stories in this collection give readers a chance to visualize and perhaps resolve these questions for themselves. Using the techniques of both fiction and creative non-fiction, the contributors bring to life the everyday problems that people with disabilities face. Rather than analyzing the law, the writers dramatize the complex set of issues underlying the ADA as it is practiced and interpreted around the country: at a small Southern college, in the Library of Congress, on a New York City sidewalk. The stories from these local battlegrounds form a unique portrait of a continuing struggle. Ruth O'Brien's legal commentary on the Americans with Disabilities Act supplements these narratives. Organized analytically to reflect the ADA's main provisions, her commentary draws out and responds to the legal issues raised in each contributor's narrative. Discussing relevant Supreme Court and federal cases, O'Brien addresses key legal questions such as: What recourse do individuals have when enforcement of the law is ambiguous or virtually nonexistent? What is a disability? How will its changing definition affect individuals' lives-as well as their legal actions-in the future? Voices from the Edge seeks to challenge the mindset of those who would deny equal protection to the disabled, while providing informative analysis of the intent and application of the ADA for those who wish to learn more about disability rights. Giving voice to many types of discrimination the disabled face while illustrating the personal stakes underlying legal disputes over the ADA, this collection offers unparalleled insight into the lives behind the law.

Reveals a pattern of prejudice against mentally disabled individuals that keeps them from receiving equal treatment under the law. Covers sanism and pretextuality, the sanist and pretextual roots of mental disability law, and therapeutic jurisprudence. For psychologists and lawyers.

Today's world is in desperate need of realistic alternatives to violent conflict. Nonviolent action -- properly planned and executed -- is a powerful and effective force for political and social change. Recently, advocates have applied nonviolent methods and strategies with great success in Serbia and Ukraine. Waging Nonviolent Struggle builds on 50 years of Dr. Sharp’s definitive academic research and practical experience aiding nonviolent struggles around the world. It breaks new ground about how to strategically plan nonviolent action and make it more effective. Dr. Sharp and his team of scholars document lessons learned firsthand, from Tiananmen Square to the Latvian Supreme Council, and from witnesses to the freedom riders in Alabama and the anti-Nazi resistance in Norway. Building on the power analysis of his seminal Politics of Nonviolent Action, Dr. Sharp coherently integrates his theories into praxis, with a vitality tested on the frontlines, often under extreme violence. Any serious student or practitioner of nonviolent struggle will find this book an invaluable resource. Skeptics will be compelled to seriously consider nonviolent action as a tried, tested and proven alternative to both passivity and violence.

"Freedom and Justice for all" is a phrase that can have a hollow ring for many members of the disability community in the United States. Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer gives us a comprehensive introduction to and overview of U.S. disability policy in all facets of society, including education, the workplace, and social integration. DISABLED RIGHTS provides an interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of the disability rights movement and assesses the creation and implementation, successes and failures of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by federal, state and local governments. DISABLED RIGHTS explains how people with disabilities have been treated from a social, legal, and political perspective in the United States. With an objective and straightforward approach, Switzer identifies the programs and laws that have been enacted in the past fifty years and how they have affected the lives of people with disabilities. She raises questions about Congressional intent in passing the ADA, the evolution and fragmentation of the disability rights movement, and the current status of disabled people in the U.S. Illustrating the shift of disability issues from a medical focus to civil rights, the author clearly defines the contemporary role of persons with disabilities in American culture, and comprehensively outlines the public and private programs designed to integrate disabled persons into society. She covers the law's provisions as they apply to private organizations and businesses and concludes with the most up-to-date coverage of recent Supreme Court decisions--especially since the 2000-2002 terms--that have profoundly influenced the implementation of the ADA and other disability policies. For activists as well as scholars, students, and practitioners in public policy and public administration, Switzer has written a compassionate, yet powerful book that demands attention from everyone interested in the battle for disability rights and equality in the United States.

Pocket Guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities Revised Edition This book is intended to help users understand the facilities requirements of the ADAAG. Incorporating all of the latest guideline amendments within a compact and easy-to-use format that contains no confusing abbreviations, this Revised Edition presents the technical building requirements for accessible elements and spaces in new construction, alterations, and additions. The Guide is augmented with more than 60 illustrations from the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, and covers special requirements for businesses, restaurants, medical care facilities, libraries, and much more.

This book provides a step-by-step guide to help parents and professionals working with children on the ASD spectrum obtain or write an individualized education plan (IEP). The individual chapters set out the ‘blueprint’ detailing the crucial building blocks for IEP development. Part 1 aims to arm the reader with the specific information needed to generate the types of meaningful goals and objectives that lead to effective service delivery. Part 2 presents several models so that parents and professionals can see how the various elements can deliver an appropriate individualized education programme. How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up? presents information in an accessible and reader-friendly format making it an essential reference for parents and professionals.

Parents of children with autism know better than anyone else what educational and public services their child needs. They also know the deficiencies of the system and the frustrations encountered while trying to obtain such services. Constructive Campaigning for Autism Services is an essential guide to effective campaigning for appropriate services for children with autism, written by PACE (The Parents' Autism Campaign for Education). Based on the real-life experiences, dilemmas and questions of parents themselves involved in campaigning, this practical handbook explains how the system works both at local and national levels and provides invaluable information about local authority structures and government policy. The guide outlines different campaign methods and their effectiveness, and shows how parents can draw up a tailor-made plan for their position. It also shows that parents who have fought for services for their own child can use their experiences to improve provision for all children with autism. This will be an essential handbook for all parents and others who are actively involved in campaigning for better autism services.

Parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys come to No Child Left Behind - Wrightslaw for reliable, accurate information about No Child Left Behind issues - research based reading instruction, proficiency testing, parent involvement, tutoring and supplemental educational services, highly qualified teachers, transfers from failing schools, and public school choice.

This book presents the necessary information for educators to understand the history and development of special education laws and the requirements of these laws. This book provides the reader with the necessary skills to locate pertinent information in law libraries, on the Internet, and other sources to keep abreast of the constant changes and developments in the Special Education field. Appropriate for people interested in Special Education and the Law.