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In developing new forms for society-based support for mental health service users, authorities implemented a service in Sweden, called Personligt ombud (PO), with the assignment to support service users exercising their rights. The aim of this article is to describe what service users find to be significant features of their working relationships with their PO. Using a phenomenological approach, 23 users were interviewed sharing their experiences of their PO. The results show that service users describe their relationships with the PO as a 'professional friendship'. The friendship-like feature refers to reciprocity in sharing life experiences and forming a trustful relationship in which professional assistance can be offered, promoting well-being and recovery. Conclusions are that the PO provides a service that calls for re-interpretation of professional and user roles, where both give and receive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows, firstly, one way in which discrimination in discourse, that is, discrimination performed through the use of language, can be studied with the help of a set of concepts: exclusion from discourse; negative other‐presentation; objectification; and proposals pointing towards unfavourable treatment. The concept of othering is also used. Secondly, an empirical study of the discursive treatment of people labelled ‘mentally deficient’ in interwar Sweden is presented. The parliamentary debate on a new sterilisation law, encyclopaedic entries and medical descriptions are focused. The results reveal that the group in question was blatantly discriminated against, by means of all of the forms of discursive discrimination mentioned, and was also othered. It is suggested that the set of concepts could be useful for comparative studies of discursive treatment of people categorised as ‘mentally deficient’ in other countries during the same period and for studies of possible contemporary discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces how technology and humans are part of relationships that influence agency among people with disabilities. It aims to focus attention on the use of, and access to, information and communication technology (ICT), and agency among youths and adults with intellectual disabilities. The study draws on empirical research conducted with youths and adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as staff at a day centre. It shows that by drawing upon interests, previous experiences, and cooperating in ICT activities the participants’ agency changed. Also, it shows how disability is relational and how it can be influenced by ICT. An interdisciplinary approach is adopted to interpret the findings and to explore: How do people of different ages with intellectual disabilities experience the use of ICT in their everyday lives? Are people with intellectual disabilities able to influence their level of activity by using ICT? And if so, in what ways? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A disability reform came into force in Sweden in 1994 which emphasises the importance for disabled people to increased autonomy and self determination in everyday life. Interviews with disabled women and men have shown that while there are those who, because of the legislation, have increased control in their everyday living, there are also those who in no way have benefited from this reform. Some of the disabled participants have not even heard of the legislation before the time of the interview. They are in a situation that they require support, which they do not have, in order to apply for services of their choice and, if necessary, appeal against 'negative' decisions with regard to the applied for services. The paper concludes with a discussion about the Janus-faced nature of individual rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a neo-institutional perspective to examine possibilities and obstacles for participation in coordinated individual planning (CIP) for people with intellectual disabilities. CIP is a tool for interprofessional and interorganizational coordination with the objective of creating a joint plan for a person needing cohesive care. Participation by the service-user is considered important for effective coordination but involving someone with an intellectual disability may require special adaptations. A thematic analysis of interviews with 17 professionals from different organizations in Sweden reveals that service user participation is considered an important goal by professionals, but also that it is difficult to put into practice. The results indicate that CIP is characterized by tensions and policy-practice decoupling that limit the service-users' possibilities for participation. Points of interest: Different organisations and professionals sometimes give support to one individual. They need to coordinate this support. It is necessary for service-users to be involved in coordinated planning of the support and care they need. The study analyses how professionals experience participation in coordinated planning when the service-user has an intellectual disability. The study found that coordinated planning can be difficult to adapt for service-user participation. The study found a gap between ideals and practice caused by the organizations' rules, norms, and structures. The findings reveal a risk of focusing on changing the service-user's behaviour or situation rather than addressing problems within the organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theatre for and with people with intellectual disabilities has gradually become a more frequent and popular work arrangement within the municipal daily activities in Sweden. This article focuses on one of those theatres – Olla – and the aim is to analyse the institutional settings and normative environment surrounding the theatre and the way in which it relates to different institutional rules and expectations. Analytical implications will be drawn against neo‐institutional theory and will show how Olla expresses both an artistic and a therapeutical logic, and that legitimacy is dependent on a loosely coupled formal structure between process and product, art and therapy. These logics are formulated within two different discourses, which leave Olla balancing between being a normalisation project or disability art which puts emphasis on the celebration of difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people with intellectual disability seem to be more vulnerable on the Internet than youth in general. Therefore, it is important to investigate not only their strategies for managing negative online experiences but also how they experience Internet-related support. This study applies a qualitative and interpretative approach drawing on individual and pair interviews with pupils in upper secondary special programme schools in Sweden. A thematic analysis resulted in the following themes: 'a lesson to be learned', 'the important role of siblings', 'the dilemma of support' and 'negotiation of control'. With regard to negative online experiences, strategies for managing privacy, safety and risky situations are understood as problem-focused coping and efforts to manage external/internal demands. The central role of social networks is emphasised with regard to Internet-related support. It is concluded that online restrictions may discourage open dialogue. A perspective of positive risk-taking, focusing on opportunities rather than risks, is advocated. This article investigates the participants' perspectives in their own words. The key contribution of the paper is finding out how young people with intellectual disability in Sweden handle negative online experiences and how they experience Internet-related support. The study highlights a range of themes from lessons learned and sibling relationships to problems of support and control that reflect many social and individual characteristics. The participants use different coping strategies to handle negative online experiences. They seem to manage privacy and safety on their own and refuse control in risky situations. With regard to Internet-related support, the participants prefer turning to their social network (family and friends) rather than public authorities (teachers in school). This type of research is important because it focuses on young people with intellectual disability and their vulnerability online as well as the development opportunities for Internet-related support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of advocacy organizations and their use of social media within the field of disability in Sweden. How do the organizations negotiate digital media, and what are the (intentional or unintentional) consequences related to the use of social media? With focus on the representatives of advocacy organizations, we study how they reflect and act in order to balance various motives, and what challenges and ambiguities that arise. On one hand, there is a perceived need to be online and communicate with members and the surrounding society. On the other hand, digital communication induces a divide between those who have the resources to take part in such communication, and those who do not – in terms of digital competence, economy, age, cognitive abilities, technical equipment and digital connection. The heterogeneity of resources and target groups inevitably challenges both the ideals of inclusion and intentions of advocacy organizations. Today both individual persons and different organizations use social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and similar) to talk to each other, to find friends, to give and seek information about different things and possibly to gain support for their cause in public. Also advocacy organizations use social media to inform and support their members, to speak on behalf of their members and to society. This article studies how different disability advocacy organizations reflect upon the use of social media in their work – how they use it, why, and for who. This study shows how difficult it is to take the interest of different target groups into consideration – for example people with various disabilities, of different age and economic status, their families, and the wider society – and to still address and include everyone. Particularly young people, but also others, might not need advocacy organizations, they have social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explores Swedish case workers experiences of decision making regarding disabled children's right to obtain assistance in their everyday life whereby they can live independently in the community. Data collection included seven focus-group interviews and 11 complementary individual interviews with case workers from different agencies responsible for decisions regardig access to personal assistance. Grounded theory methodology was used. Compromised professional integrity under shifting conditions emerged as a main concern and maintaing professional integrity was used as an approach to resolve it. The case workers are maintaining professional integrity by applying different strategies; struggling with division of responsibility, bureaucratizig, and justifying and protecting. The results indicate that present application of assessment criteria in combination with the utilization of precedent rulings has made it difficult for the case workers to make decisions that provide children access to assistance. Current practice raises questions about the case workers perspectives of professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to explore how users experienced and managed personal assistance from family members who are employed as personal assistants. Seventeen users of personal assistance provided by one or several family members, often in combination with external personal assistants, participated. Thematic qualitative interviews were conducted. The participants were between 19 and 58 years old, and were living with various impairments: mobility, sensory and/or learning disabilities. The results showed that personal assistance from family members could both promote and be a barrier to disabled people's control over their own lives and participation in society. It became evident that the situation could have both advantages and disadvantages for both parties, which puts the focus on the interdependency between the participants and their family assistants. However, the results also points to a potential risk that the welfare state (re)passes its responsibilities back on to disabled people and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws together empirical work that has been produced by the authors in two different autistic spaces: the Swedish magazineEmpowermentproduced by and aimed at adults with autism, and English-speaking autistic communities online. While the two points of data collection are quite different, there are important points of commonality that enable us to explore central issues concerning autistic and neurotypical space and the meanings assigned to these in different contexts. The paper aims to introduce the notion of social geographies of autism, based on talks among adults with autism and a social movement to promote autistic identities, giving examples from our previous work that has spanned both online and off-line spaces. Key issues discussed in the paper include a focus on autistic political platforms and the carving out of both social and political spaces for people with autism. In doing so, neuro-separate and neuro-shared spaces must be negotiated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]