Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation

At our organization, UCP of Pittsburgh, and our service corporation Community Living and Support Services (CLASS), we have become more attuned to social capital and its powerful impact by looking more closely at this phenomenon and how it affects the people with disabilities that we serve (over 3,000 individuals and their families in a variety of programs in western Pennsylvania). In initial examinations, including an exhaustive literature review, and from interviews and personal testimonies, it was discovered that people with disabilities are often limited in opportunities and resources to build, develop, or maintain social capital even with a full array of agencies and supports available to them through the human service system. Quite simply, as we looked more closely at the relationships that people with disabilities have, we discovered stark limitations in not only friends, but also clear barriers to even being in a position to develop friendships.

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