Resources

Wolf Wolfensberger is Director of the Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership and Change Agentry at Syracuse University. He is world's foremost developer of Social Role Valorisation and is the founder of citizen advocacy. He describes the generally accepted parenting role which exercises both 'emotional' and 'instrumental' functions. He then discusses this in relation to both children and adults who have a disability, which leads into descriptive critiques of 'protective services' (guardianship, adoption etc.). Wolfensberger then presents a comprehensive explanation of citizen advocacy for children, youths and adults and which may be short term or long term. His schema builds on the strengths of services and action groups and minimises their weaknesses. He closes with 'words of warning', describing difficulties which face citizen advocacy. Keyword: Advocacy