The original terminology of idiot, imbecile, feebleminded, and moron was used to describe people with an intellectual disability (ID) in the late 1800s (Hall, 2010). Throughout the early 1900s, there were no schools, programs, or residential facilities set up specifically for people living with ID (Crane, 2002). Because there weren’t any resources available for Individuals with ID, many were placed in mental health institutions, and were deprived of learning skills that are required to survive outside of the institutions (Hall, 2010). Towards the end of the 1970’s, the Social Model of Disability was created. This was the first step towards acknowledging the absence of human rights, lack of assistance, and discrimination throughout all life
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One particular dilemma is the balancing of rights and responsibilities with respecting the clients’ wishes and feelings. When pushing for the rights of the intellectually disabled sometimes steps are taken which can cause tension or stress for the client, especially when they aren’t fully capable of understanding the situation at hand. For many of the intellectually disabled, the difficulty lies not in recognising that their basic rights exist, but in understanding how they apply in practice and how to balance competing rights (Wilkins, 2012). Article 27.1 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that “everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community”, this includes the disabled. Unfortunately, young adults with disabilities can be excluded from society and have this right left unmet. One of the biggest everyday challenges for young adults living with ID is social inclusion. Each individual with ID has social inclusion experiences that are usually determined by the circumstances surrounding the way they live. Young adults with ID have a variety of experiences of inclusion and exclusion: “from avoidance, verbal taunts and physical abuse through to indifference, acceptance and incorporation” (Hall, 2005, p. 108). Vander Hart (1998) stated that “inclusion with non-disabled co-workers in integrated work settings is essential for the social inclusion of adults with ID”. I believe by setting up programs to educate others about ID, and by trying to morph people with ID into the greater community via support programs in schools, workplaces etc., the challenge of social inclusion doesn’t have to be so tough for the majority. Through the use of the decision-making framework created by Mattison, deciding how to handle these situations can be made easier. This framework can be split into 7 steps. These steps are:
One particular dilemma is the balancing of rights and responsibilities with respecting the clients’ wishes and feelings. When pushing for the rights of the intellectually disabled sometimes steps are taken which can cause tension or stress for the client, especially when they aren’t fully capable of understanding the situation at hand. For many of the intellectually disabled, the difficulty lies not in recognising that their basic rights exist, but in understanding how they apply in practice and how to balance competing rights (Wilkins, 2012). Article 27.1 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that “everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community”, this includes the disabled. Unfortunately, young adults with disabilities can be excluded from society and have this right left unmet. One of the biggest everyday challenges for young adults living with ID is social inclusion. Each individual with ID has social inclusion experiences that are usually determined by the circumstances surrounding the way they live. Young adults with ID have a variety of experiences of inclusion and exclusion: “from avoidance, verbal taunts and physical abuse through to indifference, acceptance and incorporation” (Hall, 2005, p. 108). Vander Hart (1998) stated that “inclusion with non-disabled co-workers in integrated work settings is essential for the social inclusion of adults with ID”. I believe by setting up programs to educate others about ID, and by trying to morph people with ID into the greater community via support programs in schools, workplaces etc., the challenge of social inclusion doesn’t have to be so tough for the majority. Through the use of the decision-making framework created by Mattison, deciding how to handle these situations can be made easier. This framework can be split into 7 steps. These steps are: