Empowering the disabled: a multidimensional approach

This article explores empowerment among the disabled as a crucial element in promoting change among families and individuals who are at risk. Individuals with disabilities in Israel who provided volunteer work in organizations for the disabled were surveyed in relation to three components of empowerment: (a) family, (b) services, and (c) community. Three organizational factors (patterns of activity in organization, representation of the disabled and participation in decision-making) and two personal factors (self-esteem and mastery) affect at least one of the empowerment components.