INTRODUCTION

This tool kit has been compiled to support the development and growth of an independent grassroots self-advocacy movement within the State of Florida. The material contained in the tool kit was prepared by the Syracuse University Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies under contract with the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc. The tool kit provides information on the history and assessment of the self-advocacy movement in Florida; an analysis of the experience and practices in six other states; and a core self-advocacy group development training curriculum, including an extensive list of resources.

This content is intended to support the ongoing commitment by the Council to support growth of a statewide grassroots self-advocacy movement in Florida. The design of the tool kit recognizes that new grassroots self-advocacy groups will benefit from the core training content and all groups will require ongoing support and technical assistance. To that end additional training and resource material will be added to this tool kit as the self-advocacy movement expands throughout the state. Further, this material will support both professional and self-advocate trainers in Florida who will assume increasing responsibility for providing this support and technical assistance in future years.

We wish to acknowledge the contributions of the project advisory committee, the Council staff, Florida self-advocates and their advisors, and staff from the Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies who worked on this project. In particular, we acknowledge Jessica Bacon, who played the primary role in completing the research work in both Florida and nationally; Cyndy Colavita, who completed all of the preparations and details required for the Self-Advocacy Training Institute; and Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri, who organized and assembled this tool kit as a coherent document.