Abstrakt
The Czech national policy on social services and health is based on the principal of human rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities. Based on published literature and reports, as well as knowledge and experience from working in the field,this mainly conceptual article summarizes progress over the past two decades in the Czech Republic in moving from an institutional era toward one that values community-based alternatives.While European and national policy is supportive of community living, and new individualized funding streams have been created, progress in the Czech Republic toward the goal of community living for everyone with a disability has been slow and has met with many barriers.
The authors highlight the need to consider issues such as the availability of data related to funding and delivery of services, planning of the transitional period toward community-based services, accessibility of reports on quality of services (including institutions), and the conflict of interests created by the system of guardianship. The authors conclude that despite economic circumstances that may slow down the process of deinstitutionalization, the direction of change toward community living needs to be sustained.