When you first hear about Rick, you will likely hear all sorts of good things about him. “He knows what he wants – he’s a definite kind of guy.” “He’s a good traveler by road and train.” “He’s a thoughtful, observant guy, easy going and kind.” In fact, last September, that’s how a group of...Read More

Grief is a universal human experience as beloved elder family members pass from this world. Mukund, a young man living in Lucknow, experienced just such a loss this past year. He, along with his brother, grew up with his “Amma” at the center of his life, as she took care of him and his brother...Read More

Valued social roles often lead to very good things in life – important things like belonging, freedom, a decent reputation, and a positive self-image. This is theory – simple facts that might be very useful when supporting people with disability to live full lives.Read More

Aratrik is a nineteen plus—almost twenty—young man. If you took a peek at his official records, including his government disability certificate, it would tell the story of a young man with significant and even so-called ‘catastrophic’ disability.Read More

Across India, small, community-based supportive services for people with developmental disability are rising out the imaginations of families and activists. These days, such sorts of services are often fueled by the desire to create human-scale alternatives to large institutional settings.Read More

Efforts to help people with disability to fully contribute their gifts, as well as to lead full, expansive lives requires more than hoping, wishing, and half-hearted efforts. In fact, much of the work of elevating the status of marginalized people goes against the grain of societal devaluation, and so it stands to reason that many...Read More

Mr. Arvind Sekar is the sort of person who reveals himself only over time. About a year ago, his circle of support – a group of people who care about Arvind and his future, spent some time helping him to think about what the future might hold for him. After holding down a number of...Read More

Helping people, especially young people, find their place in this world is affirming work. For many people, including people with disabilities, finding out what is “a fit” requires having lots of experiences, stretching a bit, and experimentation to see what brings out the best in us. Mohammed has always stood out to his family and...Read More

Photo by Sujata Khanna Photography. Sitting in the first SRV workshop was like looking into a mirror for Elizabeth Albuquerque (Liz). “... my belief system, of how every human being deserves respect, dignity and a purpose in life .... was right there staring back at me.” Creating meaningful and valuable social roles for each person...Read More

Social devaluation and marginalization diminishes people, makes people seem small, and even makes people invisible to the rest of society, particularly if they are locked away in mental hospitals. Valued social roles, even small ones, have the capacity to help people be bigger, stand taller, feel stronger, and shine.Read More