Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Strategies for supporting the online publishing activities of adults with learning difficulties
- Author:
- SEALE Jane K.
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 22(2), March 2007, pp.173-186.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper reports on a study that explored the online publishing activities of adults with learning difficulties, the strategies that carers and professionals have used to support these activities and the implications these strategies may have for empowerment and self-advocacy. Content analysis of 15 home pages revealed that despite having a certain degree of information and communication technology literacy, many of the authors were being supported in their online publishing activities. For, the majority, their family provided this support. The supportive strategies that were used involved including the home page as part of a bigger family web site and taking sole or joint responsibility for writing the narrative of the home page. These strategies raise interesting questions about the validity of online publishing activities as vehicles for self-advocacy and the power relationships that such activities expose.
Easy Information about research: getting the message out to people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- GOODWIN Julian, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(2), 2015, pp.93-99.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper discusses the provision of easy information about research to people with learning disabilities, their families and supporters. The authors explore some different ways they have used over the past 25 years, to make sure that research has the greatest impact both in the UK and abroad. The authors discuss first the process of providing easy-read versions of research at the Norah Fry Research Centre, where two of us, Goodwin and Townsley, worked on a series called Plain Facts funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The authors have always used different media such as audio, but more recently, have started to use video as a way of getting information out to people with learning disabilities. They aim to present the ‘easy information’ work done at Norah Fry, to reflect on its impact, and set it within the context of the move towards accessible information more generally, questioning some of the premises about ‘impact’ on which accessible information is based. (Edited publisher abstract)
Are we Valuing People's choices now? restrictions to mundane choices made by adults with learning difficulties
- Author:
- HOLLOMOTZ Andrea
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 44(2), 2014, pp.234-251.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
In the UK, Valuing People ( Department of Health, 2001, 2010b) has shaped services for people with learning difficulties for the past decade. Promoting choices and independence are two of the four key principles that underpin this White Paper and its subsequent delivery plans. This paper assesses the impact that these changes had on the availability of mundane choices. It draws on empirical evidence from interviews with adults with learning difficulties. First impressions of the findings indicate that individuals are indeed able to make an increased range of decisions. At closer inspection, it does however become apparent that not all of these decisions are based on an infinite spectrum of options. Under the guise of choice-based policy rhetoric, some people with learning difficulties are at times presented with a pre-arranged ‘menu of choices’. For instance, a person may be free to choose activities at their day centre, but they may have limited control when deciding whether to attend the service in the first place. The wider implications that tokenistic choice-making processes have for the development of personal autonomy are highlighted. It is argued that a lack of control in respect to mundane choices is disempowering and leads to learned passivity. (Publisher abstract)
‘Standing up for my human rights’: a group’s journey beyond consultation towards co-production
- Authors:
- ROBERTS Amanda, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(4), December 2012, pp.292-301.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In the UK, service user inclusion is a key component of human rights-based approaches to healthcare, and models of inclusion are developing rapidly. This article describes work with a small group of NHS service users, designed to increase their knowledge of human rights, as part of a broader set of initiatives focussing on changing organisational culture. During a mutual learning journey, ‘co-production’ emerged as a preferred model for promoting service user’s understandings of human rights. Co-production, or sharing service design and delivery more equally with service users, led to outcomes that were initially inconceivable. During the group, co-production appeared to be a vehicle for resolving dilemmas about services ‘empowering’ service users. This article considers how, when service user involvement and a HRBA are combined, a move towards collaboration, empowerment and redistribution of power is possible.
Next steps: a user-led model of self-direction, self-advocacy and fulfillment
- Author:
- VOICEABILITY
- Publisher:
- Voiceability
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 54p.
- Place of publication:
- Cambridge
The Next Steps project, provided by the UK advocacy charity VoiceAbility, is an empowerment and self advocacy project for adults and young people with learning disabilities. It aims to support people with learning disabilities to develop their life skills, increase their confidence, make choices about their own lives, and create a lifestyle in the community based on their aspirations, interests, skills and needs. This report provides an overview of the Next Steps model, covering the context, value base and key approaches. It describes how to set up a Next Steps project, including initial planning, setting up, running the project, and monitoring and assessment. It also discusses challenges in the Next Steps approach and the support available.
Enterprising spirits
- Author:
- BATES Keith
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 10(4), May 2010, pp.14-16.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
It is estimated that just 7.5% of adults with learning disabilities are in paid employment, yet many of these people want to work. The cross government employment strategy Valuing Employment Now, published in 2009, has set ambitious targets to radically improve the opportunities for, and increase the numbers in, work for people with learning difficulties. This article describes the ‘In Business’ project, which help to support people with learning disabilities in setting themselves up as self-employed as a realistic route to employment. The project worked with 4 primary sites across England, each supporting up to 8 people in establishing their own small business. The key features of the project were that: each entrepreneur was supported to develop their own business based on their interests and abilities; the In Business project manager advised paid support staff, families and entrepreneurs about setting up business and navigating the benefits and tax systems as a self-employed person; staff members and families were engaged and trained in order to support the entrepreneur; and small business advisers and mainstream employment services were engaged in the project from its early stages. This article outlines the innovation involved, the business development provided, and the service delivery change as a result of supporting people with learning disabilities become entrepreneurs.
Authentic dialogue with persons who are developmentally disabled
- Author:
- HILL Jennifer
- Publisher:
- Jessica Kingsley
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 128p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This book aims to explode the myth that people with developmental disabilities are incapable of expressing the level of emotional insight and sensitivity necessary to engage in therapy. Rather than avoiding painful topics, such as awareness of the loss of a normal life, it is possible to confront these difficult and emotive issues within a therapeutic environment. The author follows the progress of several developmentally disabled individuals who participated in her group psychotherapy sessions over the course of several months and were able to discuss their feelings of sorrow, grief, jealousy and joy within the group. This book will be of interest to social workers, psychologists, and educators in the fields of developmental disability and mental health, as well as families of individuals with developmental disabilities.
The impact of self-advocacy on families
- Author:
- MITCHELL Paula
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 12(1), February 1997, pp.43-56.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The impact of self-advocacy on families of people with learning difficulties has rarely been investigated. This article argues that adulthood is central. The meanings attached to self-advocacy by people with learning difficulties are examined to support this, and the family context explored to discover the likely experiences and influences which will condition the reception for self-advocacy. The early findings of the research - from discussions with self-advocacy groups - are presented. Concludes that self-advocacy will impact on families and for this impact will exhibit itself in a variety of ways. Because of the experiences and conditioning of families and people with learning difficulties the impact is expected to be complicated.
Proposals for a 'Mental Incapacity Bill' to provide additional safeguards to vulnerable adults
- Author:
- DIESFELD Kate
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 1(2), April 1996, pp.34-37.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Although the Registered Homes Act 1984 provides some protection for people with learning disabilities living in registered homes, the Law Commission has identified the need for further safeguards. A draft Parliamentary Bill has been drawn up but as yet there are no plans to enact it. Using case studies, this article provides an analysis of Sections 36-44 of the Mental Incapacity Bill as it affects public law protection for people with learning difficulties who live in community settings. Asks whether we need any more protective legislation?
Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in their communities through support staff pilot intervention
- Authors:
- ZAKRAJSEK Andrea Gossett, HAMMEL Joy, SCAZZERO Joseph A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27(2), 2014, pp.154-162.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Increasingly, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are supported to participate in least-restricted settings in the community. However, little is known about desired community participation choice and control of people with I/DD, nor effective strategies to support full participation. Furthermore, service providers of this population in community and residential settings have unique roles in influencing choice and control in community participation. Research Aim: The purpose of this project is to empower adults with I/DD in community participation by collaborating with agency staff and administrators to strategize change in service provision and programming. Methods: This article describes the development, imple-mentation and mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot staff intervention. Results: Findings indicate staff who participated in pilot intervention report increased confidence in supporting adults with I/DD to participate in their communities. Conclusions: Intervention development has implications for staff, administrators and agencies in planning and executing opportunities to support choice and control for community participation for adults with I/DD. (Publisher abstract)