• Student’s Perspective on Developmental Disabilities

    Posted by: Victor Tang
    Date: 2010.08.18 | Category: Uncategorized | Tags: ,,

    Joyce and I have been on a bit of a Summer hiatus, but I’m back to our regular blogging schedule now.

    Over the course of this summer, I was approached by a student at the University of Phoenix who wrote a brief but outstanding paper on mediation and advocacy as part of a course. With his permission, I have republished it below for our readers:

    Students entering the human services field may be unaware of the impact they can have in the lives of individuals caught in a special population. Developmentally disabled individuals often need a voice that will speak on their behalf and make communities aware of their needs. Advocates and lobbyists maintain a special ability to promote the ideals and needs of the developmentally disabled as a special population.

    Organizations such as the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) provide a service to special population in need by striving to help them reach their full potential (Developmental Disabilities Association, 2010). In an interview with an advocate for a helping agency it was apparent that a passion for helping was required to be an advocate. The cause of a client needs to be felt passionately and believed by an advocate who will stand up for the clients needs. The ability of the DDA to provide a diversity of services to the local community required advocates to promote a need and inform a community.

    In the same way that advocates inform communities, lobbyists maintain the focus of governing bodies so that the needs of special populations are continually focused on. In a separate interview with a lobbyist for the developmentally disabled the importance of funding human service programs became apparent. The financial concerns of helping programs were an area that the lobbyist focused on as state budgets and tough economic times continue to impact helping programs. Often simply informing the public of the needs of special populations is not enough. Governing bodies that create regulation and control budgets also need to be communicated with by lobbyists so that programs can continue to reach those in need.

    The needs of special populations will not be met without continued reminders and distribution of information. Advocates and lobbyists maintain efforts that share beliefs and proceed with passion to reach communities that can make a difference to the decision makers. As long as there are people who will fight for a cause the needs of special populations will increasingly be met.

    Thank you Kevin Phillips from the University of Arizona for this paper!