The World Institute on Disability is an internationally recognized public policy center organized by and for people with disabilities. It works to strengthen the disability movement through research, training, advocacy and public education to help people with disabilities throughout the world enjoy increased opportunities to live independently.

Founded in 1983 by leaders of the Independent Living Movement, WID's work focuses on issues and problems that directly affect people’s ability to live full and independent lives. WID’s programs address employment, economic development and financial stability issues; conduct research and policy analysis on personal assistance services, accessible health care, technology and other topics; and provide assistance to non governmental organizations (NGOs) and disabled leaders in developing countries. A majority of the Board and staff are persons with disabilities.

WID’s current projects are described in more detail below.

California Work Incentives Initiative

WID developed the California Work Incentives Initiative (CWII) in 2000 to provide information on health coverage, work and benefits to youth and adults with disabilities in California and to develop community-based public policy recommendations.

Through Disability Benefits 101 Information Services, CWII provides community outreach, training and web-based services, including one-on-one technical assistance at its website, Disability Benefits 101 (www.DB101.org). The site offers easy to understand, practical information on public and private benefits, employment services and other programs, as well as interactive benefits calculators.

In addition to its information services, CWII also develops
community-based public policy recommendations. As part of this effort, it staffs a statewide policy, education and discussion forum on health, work, benefits, and disability - The California Work Group on Work Incentives and Health Care (the CWG).

CWII has received funding from the California Health Incentives Improvement Project, The California Endowment, the Social Security Administration, and individual training and event sponsors.

For more information, visit the California Work Incentives Initiative section of the site, or contact Bryon MacDonald, Project and Policy Development Manager, at bryon@wid.org.

Access to Assets

Approximately 20% of the United States population lives with some level of disability, and people with disabilities are almost three times as likely to live in poverty than any other group. WID’s Access to Assets project opens doors for the disability community by promoting asset-building and financial literacy among people with disabilities. Asset building is an anti-poverty strategy helping low-income people move toward greater economic independence by saving and purchasing long-term assets. Building assets, as a complement to increasing income, provides the stability to escape the cycle of poverty.

Access to Assets bridges the gap between the asset building and disability communities through the following services:

• Training and Technical Assistance: Advise asset-building organizations how to include consumers with disabilities in their programs.

• Disability Community Outreach: Inform disability organizations about available programs and relevant federal policy.

• Policy Analysis: Develop and influence federal asset-building legislation conducive to the participation of people with disabilities.

• Public Education: Distribute monthly EQUITY e-newsletter. The newsletter includes articles by leaders in the field, program administrators, and participants in asset- building programs, helpful tips, answers to questions about disability issues, federal policy updates, and resources. Read current and past editions of EQUITY at: http://www.wid.org/equity

• Information and Referral: Toll-free hotline serving individuals with disabilities seeking information on how to participate in poverty reduction programs.

For more information, visit the Access to Assets section of the site, or contact Thomas Foley, Access to Assets Project Manager, at tom@wid.org or toll-free at 1-866-723-1201.

Health Access and Long Term Services

WID addresses health care disparities for people with disabilities by working to improve access to quality care. In addition to addressing physical accessibility issues, WID trains doctors and medical staff in culturally competent health care and in how to make services and equipment accessible.

Access to Medical Care: Adults with Physical Disabilities is a 20-minute video and training curriculum for physicians, dentists, nurses, and other medical staff about key issues that influence the quality of care in outpatient clinical settings. The video uses interviews with medical providers and a diverse group of people with disabilities to address cultural competence; access and communication issues in the clinic; common myths and stereotypes about disability that interfere with accurate assessment of patients; and barriers to health care delivery. The training curriculum offers case-based learning exercises and extensive in-depth reference materials about appropriate provision of care, specific skills to increase good communication and rapport, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The curriculum emphasizes access and communication as the fundamental components in addressing health care disparities for people with disabilities.

WID also seeks to improve the quality and availability of long-term services for people with disabilities, such as Personal Assistance Services (often referred to as home health care) that help people with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and eating. Such assistance can make the critical difference between independent living in the community or institutionalization.

Unfortunately, instances of physical or emotional abuse in such settings are alarmingly high. In response, WID is creating the Curriculum on Abuse Prevention and Empowerment (CAPE), a comprehensive training curriculum to educate service providers, people with disabilities and family members about abuse awareness and prevention strategies. Funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research, CAPE explores fundamental issues of abuse, best-practices training approaches, and personal narratives of successful interventions. CAPE will be distributed nationally via CD Rom, in print or the web, in both English and Spanish.

For more information, visit the Health Access and Long Term Services section of the site, or contact Marsha Saxton, Senior Researcher, at marsax@wid.org.

Proyecto Visión: National Technical Assistance Center for Latinos with Disabilities

Proyecto Visión, the first national technical assistance center to increase employment opportunities for Latinos with disabilities, provides culturally and linguistically appropriate services to employers, service providers and jobseekers to address barriers that preclude Latinos from effectively utilizing disability services and connecting to work.

Proyecto Visión's toll-free technical assistance hotline provides access to a bilingual, bicultural job specialist for employment, independent living and benefits inquiries; a website (www.proyectovision.net) that includes news, resources and opportunities for scholarships/internships/jobs; an electronic newsletter that features success stories about Latinos with disabilities who found employment; a listserv that allows PV's readers to interact with others facing similar issues; an annual conference that brings together employers, service providers and jobseekers to network and exchange ideas; and regional trainings covering disability awareness, cultural competency for corporate recruiters, Latino and disability service providers, and emerging leaders with disabilities.

Proyecto Visión provides services to three primary groups:

• Jobseekers can access education, employment preparation, job development, skills acquisition, and information and referral to vocational rehabilitation, independent living centers and other service providers.

• Employers can take advantage of training regarding recruiting, hiring, training and retaining employees with disabilities, and accommodations and disability etiquette in the workplace.

• Social service providers can learn how to provide culturally competent services and how to include Latinos with disabilities in their constituencies.

For more information, visit the Proyecto Visión section of the site, or contact Kathy Martinez, Executive Director, at kathy@wid.org.

International Development and Disability Inclusion

WID is committed to helping disability organizations in other countries create networks, programs and services that promote the full inclusion of disabled people. WID's International Development Program provides training and technical assistance to disabled persons organizations and governments in developing countries, as well as program development and evaluation, and legislative and policy development. WID also conducts research, exchange programs and international conferences.

Creating Advocates for Inclusive Education

Building on 13 years of experience working in Russia, WID recently trained and supported young disabled activists from disability nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Uzbekistan. WID, in partnership with the Russian disability NGO Perspektiva, worked to empower disabled youths, parents and other members of the community to challenge discrimination and eliminate social and physical barriers to an equal education for children with disabilities. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2003-2006, the project involved over 40,000 teachers, students, journalists, lawyers, government officials, parents and members of the public through disability awareness trainings, workshops, film festivals and other public education events. The disabled activist teams also conducted peer support groups and other activities for 4,000 youth with disabilities and built dozens of ramps, creating access to public buildings and schools.

In 2004, with support from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), WID and Perspektiva expanded the project to include teams from Georgia and Abkhazia. Despite the current conflict between their governments, these two new teams participated in training seminars together and successfully carried out all project activities. Both teams produced viseos reflecting the the experience of persons with disabilities in Georgia and Abkhazia that were broadcast together on national television thoughout Georgia and Abkhazia.

WID is currently seeking funding for a new project in Georgia and Abkhazia that will continue to support the cooperative relationships established by these teams. This new project will help disability NGOs in Tbilisi and Sukhum/i build and operate two wheelchair-producing micro-businesses while teams of disabled activists work to remove physical barriers in their communities and promote policies that ensure access for persons with disabilities in Georgia and Abkhazia.

For more information, visit the International Development and Disability section of the site, or contact Bruce Curtis, International Program Manager, at bruce@wid.org.

DisabilityWorld.org

DisabilityWorld.org (www.disabilityworld.org), is a unique international online magazine (e-zine), dedicated to advancing an exchange of information and expertise about the international independent living movement of people with disabilities. Published by WID since 2000 and available only online, DisabilityWorld features a wide variety of news reports, international studies and research, new projects, interviews, and book and film reviews. The majority of articles address disability-related developments in a particular country concerning social change through advocacy, self-help and building alliances; employment and entrepreneurial initiatives; technology and accessibility; governance, legislation and policies; and attitude change through mass media and the arts.

Since 2005, DisabilityWorld has focused on initiatives and activities to improve the status of the estimated 400 million children, youth and adults with disabilities living in developing countries. DisabilityWorld has over 30,000 regular readers from 200 countries. The site was honored with an Ashoka Changemakers Award in 2002. DisabilityWorld is currently published annually until regular funds are secured.

For more information, visit the International Development and Disability section of the site, or contact Jennifer Geagan, Development and Communications Director, at jennifer@wid.org.

Technology Policy

Society is increasingly dependent on email, cell phones, voicemail and the Internet for work and communication, and people with disabilities are being left out due to the inaccessibility of these devices. More than ten years ago WID laid the public policy groundwork to Section 255 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which requires that telecommunications companies make their products and services accessible to consumers with disabilities. Building on that legislation, WID was an important advocate for the 1998 amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal government agencies to comply with the Section 508 accessibility standards when procuring, developing, maintaining or using electronic and information technologies.

WID now advises the information technology and telecommunications industry on how to make their products and services accessible. WID develops public policy recommendations, identifies best practices and offers training curriculums on how consumers can find accessible technology.

For more information, visit the Technology Policy section of the site, or contact Kathy Martinez, Executive Director, at kathy@wid.org.

Training and Public Education

Corporations, government agencies and organizations frequently hire WID's Training and Public Education Program to conduct trainings on disability awareness and etiquette, accommodating employees with disabilities, and increasing workplace diversity. WID's Training and Public Education Program also advises on access, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws and offers additional training packages on Access to Medical Care; Working Without Losing Healthcare or Other Needed Benefits; Making Asset Building Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities; and How to make Technology Accessible to People with Disabilities.

For more information, visit the Training section of the site, or contact Kathy Martinez, Executive Director, at kathy@wid.org.

Ever Widening Circle

This annual event, produced in partnership with the Culture!Disability!Talent! (CDT), showcases a diverse line-up of professional performers with disabilities. Over the past nine years, performances have included comedian Josh Blue, the  Blind Boys of Alabama, 13-year old composer and pianist Matt Savage, and internationally renowned AXIS Dance Company, comprised of dancers with and without disabilities.

Ever Widening Circle brings together friends of the disability community to celebrate disability culture and battle negative stereotypes of disabled people. The event also serves as a model for presenting entertainment that is accessible for all audiences.

For more information, visit the Ever Widening Circle section of the site, or contact Kathy Martinez, Executive Director, at kathy@wid.org.