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Summary
The Center on Personal Assistance Services (CPAS), at the request of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), conducted a study of consumer-directed personal assistance services (PAS) cooperatives, with an emphasis on workplace PAS. This report presents case studies of seven cooperatives, describes advantages of consumer-run cooperatives, identifies funding issues and sources, and presents considerations for those contemplating starting consumer-run PAS cooperatives. It contains a review of the literature and resources, which revealed only a few examples of successful consumer-directed PAS cooperatives in the United States, but found models of self-sufficient consumer cooperatives in Europe, which have been providing service for decades. In consumer-directed cooperatives, ten percent or fewer members are using the cooperatives' PAS services in order to work or to find employment. However, PAS cooperatives show promise as a means of delivering workplace PAS, if the cooperatives make employment an explicit focus and goal from the beginning.
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