A non-institutional life for people with intellectual disabilities in Northern Norway
Jan Meyer, Harstad University College
Abstract
The foundation of Norway's shift from institutional care to complete reliance on home and community support for its citizens with developmental disabilities can be traced to the Norwegian welfare system. In May 1988, the Norwegian Parliament unanimously voted in support of the de-institutionalization reform. The townships/municipalities gained full responsibility for care for people with developmental disabilities from the January 1991. As of 1992, people with developmental disabilities derived their rights through the ordinary Social Care Act and the Township/Municipality Health Care Services Act. Ultimately, the goal of Norway's reform was to ensure that its citizens with intellectual disabilities live as fellow citizens. Normalizing living conditions, for example including people in all aspects of their daily life, and giving power back to people to take control over their own lives, are still the key challenges as far as care for people with developmental disabilities are concerned. Even though physical and administrative normalization has progressed well in Norway, social normalization or inclusion that is true social integration has not yet been totally attained. For example, access to leisure and other activities is still dependent on the township/municipality economy and on the service providers'motivation. The research project is to investigate the life conditions of people with intellectual disabilities in three municipalities/townships in northern Norway. Their social networks, care and support needs, daily living skills, communication skills, work and leisure will be examined. The target group for the investigation (N-100) includes people with developmental disability who live in their own rented house/apartment. Some members of the target group have lived in institutions, but the others have never been institutionalized. A combination of structured interviews, unstructured interviews and observations will be employed in gathering information of relevance to the research. Caretakers of persons in the target group will be interviewed using structured questionnaires. Unstructured focus group interviews will be employed in obtaining information from five target group members (n-5) with verbal communication skills. Information on one target group member who has no verbal communication skills will be acquired through the use of participant observation. Information collected will be analyzed drawing inspiration from social network theory and research.