Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Growing confidence
- Author:
- HOGG Hilary
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 10(5), June 2010, pp.30-31.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Border Links is a social enterprise limited company designed to promote social inclusion by enabling adults with learning disabilities to contribute to the community while developing skills as part of a trading enterprise. It was set up in January 2006 with small grants from DEFRA and the Leader Gold Fund. Initially a community club with just two members there are now 36 adults involved at four clubs; three in Northumberland and one in Scotland. The vegetable basket scheme is a key part of the day service programme and delivers fresh produce to around 70 homes near the Northumberland sites. Group members are involved in all aspects of the project from selecting, ordering and weighing to packing and delivering the produce. The benefits and skill development for clients and advantages for the wider community are discussed. Border Links is self-sustaining, clients are referred by care managers, schools, Connexions and other agencies and funding comes from local authorities and direct or personal payments. The organisers believe what makes them special is that they work with clients within a local and small groups context.
Art attack
- Author:
- PENFOLD Julie
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 14(3), March/April 2014, pp.12-13.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Starburst Arts is a visual and performing arts initiative for people with learning disabilities who want to explore their creativity and engage with their local community through the arts. The initiative, based at the Wrenford Centre day centre for adults with learning disabilities in Chichester, West Sussex, provides links with the community to showcase the artists work and promote social inclusion. Its has also helped the artists to create art on new technology such as iPads and iMacs. (Original abstract)
‘If we are going to include them we have to do it before we die’: Norwegian seniors’ views of including seniors with intellectual disability in senior centres
- Authors:
- INGVALDSEN Anne Kristen, BALANDIN Susan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(6), November 2011, pp.583-593.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The relatively recent increase in the number of aged persons with intellectual disabilities is challenging concepts of inclusion and participation. The aim of this study was to identify senior centre users’ views of the barriers and solutions to the inclusion of seniors with intellectual disability in community senior centres. Thirty seniors (mean age 75.7 years, 23 women) without intellectual disability participated in one of four focus groups. Data were analysed for major themes. These included benefits, perceptions of people with intellectual disability, barriers and solutions to inclusion, need for support and need for information. There appears to be agreement that seniors with intellectual disability could benefit from being a senior centre user. However consideration needs be given to this group’s need for assistance, staff education, economic resources and ways to overcome negative community attitudes towards people with intellectual disability.
Community-based day-care services for people with intellectual disabilities in Georgia: a step towards their social integration
- Authors:
- MAKHARADZE Tamar, KITIASHVILI Anastasia, BRICOUT John C.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 14(4), December 2010, pp.289-301.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The study explores the impact of community-based day-care services on users’ social-adaptive skills, social life and sense of happiness, comparing service users and a matched comparison group. It focuses on the role of community-based day-care services in the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities in the Republic of Georgia. Participants included 80 adults, aged 18 to 45 years, with mild intellectual disabilities of middle socio-economic status. A mixed-methods approach was used to assess the influence of day-care-centre services on social adaptation and integration. Findings revealed the level of social-adaptive skills was higher for day-care-centre participants than for the comparison group along several key dimensions. Similarly, the level of social integration was higher for the day-care-centre group, although the two groups did not differ significantly on reported happiness. In conclusion, this study highlighted the fact that day-care-centre users with intellectual disabilities enjoyed a greater degree of social interaction and socialising opportunities than the comparison group.
Social inclusion: life after ‘day services’
- Authors:
- LEYIN Alan, KAUDER Natalie
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 14(2), April 2009, pp.13-20.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Traditionally, participation in the local community has been considered a crucial component of community living for people with learning disabilities. This concept - now appearing as ‘inclusion’ - has retained its prominence, and is an important area for service development and monitoring. Monitoring of community activities was undertaken pre- and post-closure of two small day service facilities. The findings indicate that for this group of people (generally older with higher support needs) the closure of the day service facilities did not, overall, result in a significant increase in community activities. The availability of the time that the person had previously spent in specialist day services was not, by and large, used to develop social inclusion. Even though, for some individuals, some gains were recorded, overall these gains were considered a poor return for the hours released from the closure of the day service facilities.
Day services - how to 'make sure that change happens'
- Author:
- COLE Angela
- Journal article citation:
- Community Living, 21(3), 2008, pp.22-24.
- Publisher:
- Hexagon Publishing
Improving what people with learning disabilities do during the day is one of the five priorities in Valuing People Now. This article draws on the SCIE practice guide 'Community based day activities and supports for people with learning disabilities' to think about three main challenges: inclusion for all; personalising support for people currently using day centres; and deciding what should happen to day centre buildings.