Young people with disabilities have more opportunities and more challenges than at any other time in our nation's history.  With the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they have unprecedented opportunities to fully develop as constructive, contributing members of our society.  However, many need encouragement to develop as leaders in their communities.  Our forum enables them to learn from each other and from successful adults with disabilities who are recognized leaders and role models.  Such a forum benefits not only the participants, but all young people with disabilities, our communities in general, and the adults who assist in producing the forum.

GOALS OF

YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM

1.      Invoke standards of human worth and success that value diversity and uniqueness and help each student gain greater appreciation of his or her particular strengths and personal style;

2.      Expose the students to role models: successful adults with disabilities athletes, artists, educators, and community leaders  who can share constructive experiences related to disability and who can credibly encourage the students to view themselves positively, set high goals for themselves, and pursue those goals confidently.

3.      Teach principles of leadership and challenge the students to realize their own leadership potential:

4.      Emphasize the importance of work in one's life and underscore the assumption that the students have not only a right but a social obligation to realize their full career potential;

5.      Help the students develop their academic, career, and leadership goals and help the students develop the assertiveness and self-presentation skills needed to achieve those goals;

6.      Inform the students about various resources available to help them attain independence, positions of leadership, including sources of assistive technology, sources of community support, and the rights guaranteed under the Americans with Disabilities Act;

7.      Encourage the students to learn from each other about living with a disability;

8.      Inform the students that they need not experience their disabilities in isolation: the students quickly find their place in an active and cohesive community of disabled persons;

9.      Make the students aware that they are links in the continuing history of disabled persons, a history that includes the efforts of disabled persons to establish their civil rights.