D6.2 Change and diversity in community living in Europe - the experiences of persons with disabilities
Abstrakt
The aim of Work Package 6, and the Deliverable 6.2 in particular, is to explore how societal changes affect the everyday life and living conditions of men and women with disabilities in Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. In the task 6.2 qualitative techniques were used to investigate the lives of disabled people over time with particular focus on community living and active citizenship.
Preliminary findings suggest that the majority of people with disabilities interviewed currently live in their own home and experience choice over where they live. The majority receive some form of financial support but less than half receive assistance or other support in any form.
However, for those that do, many reported choice over the nature of support and who supported them. This overall picture masked some important differences.
For example, those with intellectual disabilities appear most likely to have experienced institutionalisation and living in a group situation with staff support. They are least likely to have experienced choice over living situationor support received.
There were also differences by country with those in some countries such as Serbia and Italy more highly dependent on family support and less likely to be getting any formal support. Those with mobility difficulties appeared to be more likely to have experienced ""normal"" life trajectories, with more of those with intellectual disabilities experiencing ""special"" or ""segregated"" trajectories.
Those with visual impairments and some of those with psychosocial disabilities had experienced trajectories that were mixed - usually for those with visual impairments this was in the form of specialist residential schools but transitioning to more normal employment.