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ABSTRACT OF PROJECT This project focuses on strengthening our social capital through the development of human resources for community rehabilitation and disability study contexts. The immediate target group are students preparing for future positions as rehabilitation professionals and leaders of disabled peoples' organizations. A further target group will be development of community and "grass roots" leaders of NGOs and private sector businesses who support the inclusion of disabled people in society generally, and as full members of the work force specifically. The approaches to be used will involve "virtual" and personal exchanges that promote a healthy partnership between university programs and community groups including NGOs and business related groups. Similar approaches have been used successfully by Consortium members in international development work, with lessons learned being applied to the North American context. While the public policies that either have or are being developed are promising, recent research in both Canada and the US show great unevenness in implementing them. Furthermore, there is a large gap between our knowledge of how best to include disabled people in the labour force and actual practice. Labour force participation rates of working-age and educated disabled people remain stubbornly low despite a labour shortage, and disability-leave from work has been on the increase. Research by Consortium members and others in association with such international bodies as the WHO and the ILO, along with experience in "best practice" projects, have demonstrated that much of the knowledge needed to reverse the situation already exists and has not been effectively applied. At the same time, forces associated with the globalization of our economies demand that the best available knowledge be used to ensure that social capital is well used. This is contributing to changes in how education is delivered. For example, most Consortium members have been on the forefront of developing a variety of means by which post-secondary education is provided beyond traditional campus-based programs including internet based and/or internet supported courses, use of video and/or audio conferencing and other information technology supported means. These have proved highly effective in reaching out to students who would not ordinarily attend university. The primary purpose of this project is to promote high quality cross-cultural learning and professional development experiences that will lead to better employment outcomes for persons with disabilities and the professionals that work with them. A related purpose is to work closely with Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses and others interested in disability issues in developing better programs and human resource practices. These purposes are framed by the following goals:
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