Profile of advisors to self-advocacy groups for people with mental retardation

An extensive profile of self-advocacy group advisors was developed. A telephone survey was administered to 118 advisors randomly selected from the Longhurst (1994) Directory of Self-Advocacy Groups; 90 surveys were completed (76%). Major findings are reported in the areas of advisor demographic data, employment and advising experience, current employment profile, and recruitment. Results provide important baseline information for individuals affiliated with the self-advocacy movement, UAPs, developmental disability councils, Arc chapters, and professional organizations. These results can be used to help better understand the people who are currently supporting self-advocacy groups and to identify possibly support person recruitment issues.