Good quality of life (QoL) is something that everyone, including those with an Intellectual Disability (ID), deserves to be able measure and recognize. Many things have been accomplished along the journey that the concept of quality of life has taken. Many challenges have been overcome and the entire process has been quite productive; however, there are still challenges that need to be overcome. The primary focus of this article is on the summary of the current understanding of the construct of the individual QoL as it pertains to those with ID. Quality of life is something that everyone thinks about and acts upon daily, whether we know it or not. For example, if someone is unhappy in a job, but it pays well, this person will examine the
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This journey and history have taught us many things about the QoL. What we know now is that there are domains that are extended over the notion of Quality of Life. These domains are focused upon the fact that there are factors that improve life for those that are Intellectually Disabled other than the medical and scientific factors. These factors include things like environment, families/support systems, etc. Quality of Life is not just determined by improve scientific and medical factors, but by other daily living factors too. We also know that those with ID need support systems within the community, and a feeling of belongingness in a community to feel like they have a supportive environment. By integrating all peoples in the community, and the community itself becoming a support system for anyone within it, everyone can have a support system. Historically, this has been done by providing job opportunities for those who have disabilities, providing volunteer opportunities for anyone interested, and educating everyone within the community about disabilities in …show more content…
Programs, like OK AIM, use factors such as “[…] consumer satisfaction and personal outcomes, and the development of new QOL-references models of intervetion and service delivery [.]” (Schalock, 2004) to improve their program for the betterment of their consumers. We also know that there are multiple uses for quality of life indicators. One use would be for the evaluation of programs. This is one way that programs, such as OK AIM, are constantly improving their program for the quality of the consumer. One of the favored ways of discussing the methodologies of QoL is through methodological pluralism. With this method the Microsystem, Mesosystem, and Macrosystem are involved and analyzed. The Microsystem is within the Mesosystem, and the Macrosystem encompasses both the Mesosystem and the Microsystem. The Microsystem is focused on the personal aspects of Quality of Life, so the measurement strategies correlate with these aspects. These aspects are typically measured through satisfaction surveys and different mood measures. The Mesosystem focuses on functional abilities. Functional abilities can be measured using rating scales, questionnaires, and other self-measuring scales. The Macrosystem measures external conditions. External conditions can be measured through standards of living, life expectancy, employment rates, etc. This methodological method is used to determine the
This journey and history have taught us many things about the QoL. What we know now is that there are domains that are extended over the notion of Quality of Life. These domains are focused upon the fact that there are factors that improve life for those that are Intellectually Disabled other than the medical and scientific factors. These factors include things like environment, families/support systems, etc. Quality of Life is not just determined by improve scientific and medical factors, but by other daily living factors too. We also know that those with ID need support systems within the community, and a feeling of belongingness in a community to feel like they have a supportive environment. By integrating all peoples in the community, and the community itself becoming a support system for anyone within it, everyone can have a support system. Historically, this has been done by providing job opportunities for those who have disabilities, providing volunteer opportunities for anyone interested, and educating everyone within the community about disabilities in …show more content…
Programs, like OK AIM, use factors such as “[…] consumer satisfaction and personal outcomes, and the development of new QOL-references models of intervetion and service delivery [.]” (Schalock, 2004) to improve their program for the betterment of their consumers. We also know that there are multiple uses for quality of life indicators. One use would be for the evaluation of programs. This is one way that programs, such as OK AIM, are constantly improving their program for the quality of the consumer. One of the favored ways of discussing the methodologies of QoL is through methodological pluralism. With this method the Microsystem, Mesosystem, and Macrosystem are involved and analyzed. The Microsystem is within the Mesosystem, and the Macrosystem encompasses both the Mesosystem and the Microsystem. The Microsystem is focused on the personal aspects of Quality of Life, so the measurement strategies correlate with these aspects. These aspects are typically measured through satisfaction surveys and different mood measures. The Mesosystem focuses on functional abilities. Functional abilities can be measured using rating scales, questionnaires, and other self-measuring scales. The Macrosystem measures external conditions. External conditions can be measured through standards of living, life expectancy, employment rates, etc. This methodological method is used to determine the