Program empowers future leaders of the disability movement

The Disabilities Leadership Development Program is designed to empower new disability advocates by introducing them to the skills of leadership and aiding them to develop their own leadership potentia. The statewide training program is a joint effort of the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at CHDD. Since 1993, nearly 70 graduates of the program have embarked on a wide array of advocacy efforts throughout the state. Graduates have assumed leadership roles in citizen groups, disability organizations, advisory councils and educational outreach groups.

The current class of 30 participants has completed the first year of the two-year program--six weekend-long workshops. Participants are now undertaking the second year's activity--mentored internship projects they have chosen in their own communities. Upon completion of the internship, each participant submits a report and is awarded a certificate of program completion.

The leadership program, which is funded by Washington's Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council, is part of a national effort implemented through each state's DD Council to make systematic training available for future leaders in the disability movement, explains Cecile Lindquist, who has been involved in the program's operation since its inception in 1991. "Training covers emerging issues facing the disability community at local, state and national levels," she says. "The program also gives participants an opportunity to become familiar with service systems in Washington state and meet some of the people who run them."

Lindquist, a staff member of CHDD's Experimental Education Unit, provides technical assistance with curriculum development for the program and enlists the volunteer faculty who share their expertise through lectures and panel discussions during the workshops. "This time, I was very pleased that we were able to have some of our graduates come back as guest lecturers."

Each weekend workshop covers a different curriculum topic documented in a packet distributed to participants. Topics include: history of the disability system and social welfare; the legislative system; support offered by the health and education systems to people in the community; support offered through social, residential, employment and personal care services; coordination of service delivery models, and reaching out to the community via the media. The packets contain readings, a list of homework assignment options, and an agenda and list of speakers for the weekend. Also included in the packets are materials that each participant uses to measure progress on his or her own individualized learning plan.

Weekend workshops are held on the UW campus. Prior to each participant's Saturday morning arrival on campus, he or she has completed a homework assignment as preparation for that weekend's activities--small group discussions regarding the homework assignment, presentations by guest lecturers, question and answer sessions and a group activity related to the topic being covered. Most participants are parents or self-advocates, people with disabilities. A few are service providers.

"From the beginning, when the program was known as the Leadership Institute, each class has been made up of a diverse group of people selected from all around the state," explains Lindquist. "There is formal application process with an extensive application. We ask applicants to expand a little bit on what they think they can get out of this training. We also ask people if this is a good time in their life to do it. I think that's important because the program requires a time commitment that they really have to think through--if an applicant is a self-advocate, how does it fit into his or her situation right then? If an applicant is a parent, will being away from home for six weekends be too much of a burden on his or her family life? It's awfully hard to limit the class size to 30 because we get some outstanding applicants."

During the new funding cycle, which commenced in 1996, the program broadened opportunities for leadership training. "In addition to funding the statewide program, the DD Council made grants available for training programs in local communities and funded proposals from three areas," says Lindquist. "We video-taped all of our guest lectures during the statewide workshops and offered the tapes and curriculum packets to the local areas. Each local area was free to adapt the material as organizers saw fit."

In Clark County, a graduate of the Leadership Institute, put together a program much the same as the statewide program. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation adapted the training model to fit their needs. Their program was organized by another graduate of statewide leadership training. The third grant went to a group in Pierce County who also adapted the material to a slightly different approach.

"The Leadership Training Program is a very exciting project" says Lindquist. "I really enjoy the stimulating discussions during the weekend workshops. The wealth of new ideas that come from new people being involved is truly amazing."