Benefits & Outcomes
What does successful community participation look like? The Arcadia Institute has identified specific benefits and outcomes to help measure successful community participation for both individuals with disabilities and the community.
Benefits of successful community participation
- The opinions and interests of individuals with disabilities are valued. They are making their own choices, building relationships and learning new skills.
- The Arcadia Institute provides the training and support for community agencies that helps make inclusion happen successfully.
- The Community benefits when it sees that it is a positive experience for everyone involved when they include individuals with disabilities.
Outcomes of successful community participation
- Choices – An individual will make choices about matters that affect his/her life.
- Various Environments – An individual will experience participation in a variety of community environments in the same manner as people without disabilities.
- Relationships – An individual will have opportunities to develop a network of relationships that ranges from the more intimate to the more casual, everyday interactions.
- Competencies – An individual will gain the competencies necessary to participate in community life.
- Respect – An individual will gain respect from others and enhance self-respect.
- Contributions – An individual will add value to the common life of all citizens by making contributions that are valued and that would require someone else to do them if he/she did not make those contributions.
