Publications by American RehabilitationResent articles by the "American Rehabilitation" from The Free Libraryhttp://www.thefreelibrary.comen-usFarlex, Inc.Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:10:42 GMT360Free Online Libraryhttp://www.thefreelibrary.comhttp://www.thefreelibrary.com/_/static/TFLbyFarlex.gif17565Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 Freedom for the blind: the secret is empowerment.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Freedom+for+the+blind%3a+the+secret+is+empowerment.-a0126791482
James H. Omvig's book, Freedom for the Blind, which was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), has just been released. According to Omvig, the book offers "a non-traditional perspective on the methods and issues that a truly successful employment training program for the blind should embrace."

Freedom for the Blind...]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 Consumer organizations: important resources for VR agencies.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Consumer+organizations%3a+important+resources+for+VR+agencies.-a0126791481
Periodically, the commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) disseminates memoranda to the RSA Senior Management Team to provide information and guidance on the implementation of priority initiatives or strategies. Last fall, Joanne Wilson, RSA commissioner, distributed the following Commissioner's Memorandum (CM 04-01) regarding the importance of consumer...]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 Empowering people with disabilities through vocational rehabilitation counseling.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Empowering+people+with+disabilities+through+vocational+rehabilitation...-a0126791480
As a result of systemic "castification" (1) processes and the rapidly changing world of work, assisting people with disabilities with obtaining and maintaining high-quality employment is an increasingly difficult task. Vocational rehabilitation (VR) counseling thus can be instrumental for enhancing the career success and quality of life of consumers with disabilities. In this...]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 Slaying dragons: building self-confidence and raising expectations through orientation center training.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Slaying+dragons%3a+building+self-confidence+and+raising+expectations...-a0126791479
In his 1919 fable, "The 51st Dragon," Heywood Broun describes the exploits of Gawaine, a young student in knight school who is so timid and fearful that he is in danger of being expelled. Instead, the school's headmaster decides to take Gawaine under his wing and train him to slay the countless dragons plaguing the countryside that year. In preparation, Gawaine studies all...]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 Self-determination and the empowerment of people with disabilities.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Self-determination+and+the+empowerment+of+people+with+disabilities.-a0126791478
The usage note in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000) states the following with regard to the word empower: 
 "Although it is a contemporary buzzword, the word empower is not new, having arisen in the mid-17th century with the legalistic meaning 'to invest with authority, authorize.' Shortly thereafter it began to be used with an infinitive in a...]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 Enhancing personal empowerment of people with psychiatric disabilities.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Enhancing+personal+empowerment+of+people+with+psychiatric...-a0126791477
For most of recorded history, people with psychiatric disabilities have struggled with maintaining personal power over their lives. The centuries-old battle against stigma is the best example of this struggle. The ancient Greeks first gave voice to the concept of stigma noting that those who were marked with mental illness were often shunned, locked up or, on rare...]]>Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 How empowerment: changed my life.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/How+empowerment%3a+changed+my+life.-a0126791476
"I don't have to live in my car anymore."

It is through my personal and professional experience that I write this article on empowerment. I have thought about empowerment a lot throughout the years. I have researched it, lived with it and lived without it. I have shared empowerment with others. Without it, I have been utterly alone. Empowerment is simple, yet complex. It pertains...]]>