The overall goal of the project was to enhance communication between the developmental disabilities field and the literacy field in order to provide more effective literacy services to people with developmental disabilities. To that end, the following seven objectives were developed:

• Objective One - To establish a focus group(s) in order to promote ongoing and open dialogue between the two service sectors.

• Objective Two - To promote positive partnerships between the developmental services field and the literacy field.

• Objective Three - To identify areas where resources can be shared and to develop a plan of action for doing so.

• Objective Four - To identify barriers to participation for people with developmental disabilities and to develop an action plan to address these issues.

• Objective Five - To begin to address concerns regarding the ability of literacy practitioners to work with this population.

• Objective Six - To develop a model, the method and results of which would be made available to all networks in the province.

• Objective Seven - To coordinate and provide a workshop on "Literacy Preparation for Adults with Developmental Disabilities" in order to improve and develop a common understanding of literacy preparation skills resulting in more appropriate referrals.

One of the first tasks of the project coordinator was to become familiar with the stakeholders and some of the key issues that were of concern to practitioners in the tri-county region (Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton). Once an individualized survey (Appendix A) of a number of the stakeholders was completed, the data collected was next used to facilitate the two focus groups.

In order to preserve confidentiality and to ensure that participants felt free to speak openly and candidly, separate focus group meetings were held with the stakeholders in the tri-county region representing both literacy and community organizations currently supporting adults with developmental disabilities. Appendix B contains a copy of visual materials used to stimulate initial discussion and explore each group's perceptions of the other sector. The results of these discussions and the concerns raised are also summarized in the same document.

Although the actual number of people participating was low (seven from developmental services and four from literacy), there appeared to be good interaction within each focus group. However, having each group meet separately did not generate much data that could be acted upon.