Citation

Boyd R. Activ. Adapt. Aging 1997; 21(3): 7-27.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J016v21n03_02

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In January of 1995, a White House Conference on Aging and Developmental Disabilities was heldin New York. The fact that this is the first White House Conference to address this topic, pointsto the increased attention being paid to this population. In the past two decades, the amount of information accumulated regarding this topic grew significantly as a result of the heightened visibility of this group in the United States. Among the factors contributing to this greater visibility are: (a) the advances in medical technology leading to extended life expectancy, (b) the deinstitutionalization movement opening doors for community participation, and (c) the shift from a focus primarily on children with developmental disabilities to encompass the entire lifespan.