Northeast > Resources > Topic Specific > Diverse Populations > Disabled youth: program devlopment

What are the special concerns regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among youth with disabilities?

This Frequently Asked Question page provides a starting point for professionals wishing to develop programs and resources with the unique needs of disabled youth in mind.

A. Young people with disabilities experience substance abuse risks at a disproportionately high level compared to their non-disabled peers. Having a disability poses unique risk factors for developing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug problems, and, conversely, substance use poses special risk factors for those with disabilities. These risks include:

• Prescribed medications that can interact with other substances

• Chronic medical problems that weaken resistance to drugs, or that invite self-medication

• Isolation and disenfranchisement of youth with disabilities

• Lack of recreational alternatives

Some advocates note that while policies of inclusion may greatly enhance the lives and opportunities for youth with disabilities, they may also expose young people to peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Unfortunately, many substance abuse prevention programs and curricula are not adapted or suited for youth with disabilities. Many school policies and programs tend to focus on other mainstreaming and inclusion challenges, giving less attention to health promotion and disease prevention activities. Some important environmental, accessibility and treatment considerations particular to this population also need to be addressed when developing substance abuse prevention programs.

Which organizations or projects focus specifically on substance abuse prevention and disability?

The following list is a good place to start.

Substance Abuse Resources and Disability Issues

SARDI Program
School of Medicine
Wright State University
P.O. Box 927
Dayton, OH 45401-0927
Voice/TTY: (937) 775-1484
Fax: (937) 775-1495
http://www.med.wright.edu/citar/sardi/

SARDI’s mission is to conduct research, provide collaborative consultation and treatment, and conduct training on the intersection between substance abuse and disability conditions. The program considers all physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities and their correlations with substance abuse. SARDI also investigates disability issues arising as sequellae of substance abuse. SARDI has three main initiatives, including the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Drugs and Disability, the Consumer Advocacy Model, and the PALS Project.

The prevention component of SARDI, PALS, is an award-winning model for substance abuse prevention that provides training activities based on the manual, Adapting Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention Education for Youth with Disabilities. These activities serve to enhance educators’ knowledge and understanding of violence, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues for youth with disabilities. It trains educators to modify existing curricula to better serve the needs of their students. The manual is available for $12.

The project also trains key policymakers and administrators, as well as other community partners, about the importance of prevention for youth with disabilities.

The Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals
2450 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Voice/TTD-(800) 282-DEAF (3323)
Fax-(612) 672-4516
http://www.mncddeaf.org/

This program provides inpatient and outpatient substance use treatment services for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, the program offers treatment and prevention materials and training about delivering services to deaf and hard of hearing persons. A free, accessible catalog of materials on substance use disorders is available.

National Association on Alcohol, Drugs & Disability (NAADD)
2165 Bunker Hill Drive
San Mateo, CA 94402-3801
Voice/TTY (650) 578-8047
Fax (650) 286-9205
http://www.naadd.org/

NAADD promotes substance abuse awareness and education among people with co-existing disabilities. The mission of NAADD is to create public awareness about issues related to alcoholism, drug addiction, and substance abuse faced by persons with other co-existing disabilities, and to enhance access to services, information, education, and prevention through the collaborative efforts of interested individuals and organizations nationwide.

Substance Abuse and Disabilities: Exploring the Relationship
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20847-2345
(800) 729-6686, (301) 468-2600
TDD (800) 487-4889
http://www.health.org/features/disability/index.htm

This section of NCADI’s website provides resources on the topic, including a special section on members of different cultural groups with disabilities.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
PO Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013-1492
Voice/TTY (800) 695-0285
http://www.nichcy.org

This organization focuses on youth with disabilities. Especially useful are NICHCY’s bibliographies on specific disability-related topics.

Women with Disabilities: Substance Abuse and Disability

http://www.4woman.gov/wwd/

We are starting a new program and want to make sure we comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Where can we find resources to assist us?

The following resources should prove useful:

Alcohol and Drug Programs and the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Compliance Guide for Privately-Operated Programs

This guide is written for owners, administrators, and staff of private alcohol and drug treatment programs to help them come into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act so that programs can become accessible to persons with disabilities. To order, e-mail akacura@flash.net or call 510-465-0547. Free in the state of California; $5 outside of California.

Americans with Disabilities Act Documentation Center

This web site provides links to Internet sources with information about the ADA and legal issues regarding occupational health and safety. http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

What issues do I need to consider when trying to make websites and other technologies accessible to persons with disabilities?

You may notice that many web sites addressing disability issues are simple in format. This is because the flashy, graphics-driven web sites may not be as accessible to persons with various kinds of disabilities. The following organizations and web tools can help you develop more accessible technologies.

Alliance for Technology Access

This web site offers information for web page designers to ensure access for people with disabilities. http://www.ataccess.org/rresources/webaccess.html

Trace Center

Trace is a research center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, which focuses on making off-the-shelf technologies and systems like computers, the Internet, and information kiosks more accessible for everyone through the process known as universal or accessible design. http://www.trace.wisc.edu/world/web/index.html

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

This web site focuses on developments and issues as they relate to making the web accessible for people with disabilities.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/

Please contact the Northeast CAPT at capt@edc.org for more information.