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Including Participants' Perspectives in the Evaluation of a Health Promotion Intervention
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| Presenter(s):
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| Miriam Jacobson, Claremont Graduate University, jacobson.miriam@gmail.com
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| Abstract:
A recent case study evaluation examined how a health promotion intervention had led to meaningful health changes in a group-home community of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A semi-structured interview protocol was developed to collect data about program participants' perspectives on their health and the influence of their environment. This presentation will describe concrete ways in which including people with developmental disabilities in data collection increased accuracy and diversity of evaluation findings, the impact of the use of a mixed-method interview protocol, and lessons learned in our efforts to maintain inclusiveness of various perspectives throughout the analysis and interpretation stages of the evaluation process.
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Collecting Data from High School Students with Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities
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| Presenter(s):
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| Ann Mavis, University of Minnesota, mavis001@umn.edu
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| Abstract:
The voices of youth especially youth with disabilities are often absent in evaluations of programs that serve them. This paper explores the issues involved in collecting and utilizing data from youth with disabilities across 16 Camps to Careers (C2C) programs that were held in seven regions in Minnesota. C2C, administered through local or regional cross-organizational teams, offers an opportunity for high school students with disabilities to explore stimulating, high-wage careers through hands-on projects in college settings. While administrators had visited camps and talked with students, this evaluation was the first time youth feedback was systematically collected and used. Twenty-six groups of three to seven students were interviewed at the end of their two-week camps; data were also collected pre- and post-camp to determine if changes occurred in students' future plans and career goals. This presentation will focus on the successes and challenges involved in this effort of valuing youth voices.
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