During each one-weekend session over the course of 8 months, Partners covers a different topic area, and participants build their communication and advocacy skills.

The concepts and issues presented include:
• The history of disability rights movement and perceptions of people with disabilities
• Self-determination and self-advocacy
• Whole-life planning: person-centered plans, legal and estate planning
• State-supported services: service coordination and service models
• Specialized supports: assistive technology, environmental accommodations, behavioral supports, best practices
• Special Education: inclusion, transition, federal and state laws
• Accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act
• State and federal legislative issues: how to get involved, how to influence policy
• Community organizing: how to work together to make systems change

Core competencies taught throughout the course include:
• Effective communication skills
• Principles of self-determination, choice and control
• Strategic thinking and planning
• Achieving change: personally, locally, nationally