APA Dictionary of Psychology

a principle, developed in succession to the normalization principle, that stresses the importance of creating or supporting socially valued roles for people with disabilities. According to this principle, fulfillment of valued social roles increases the likelihood that a person will be socially accepted by others and will more readily achieve a satisfactory quality of life. [formulated in 1983 by German-born Canadian sociologist and special educator Wolf Wolfensberger (1934–2011)]