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This article illuminates the work inclusion policies and strategies and the situation today when it comes to including people with intellectual disabilities in workplaces in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The article draws on official documents, previous research, and statistics. We discuss challenges regarding the current situation in the light of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and a social relational understanding of disability. The discrepancy between the current situation when it comes to work inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in these three Nordic countries, and the perspective of human rights and work inclusion are of special interest as these have increasingly provided the framework for policies in relation to the participation of people with disabilities in the labour market. Approaches in Nordic labour market policies and practices must change to protect and promote the rights of people with intellectual disabilities at work.

Az értelmi fogyatékossággal élő és/vagy autista emberek érdekvédelmi mozgalomban való részvétele kevéssé kutatott téma. Az alábbi tanulmány, egy doktori kutatás rövid összefoglalója, annak jár utána, hogy miért nem az autista és/vagy értelmi fogyatékossággal élő emberek vezetésével zajlanak a róluk szóló érdekvédelmi diskurzusok. A tanulmány empirikus, Magyarországon és az Egyesült Királyságban gyűjtött adatok alapján mutatja be az érin-tettek bevonódásának rendkívül alacsony szintjét, és azt, milyen tényezők segítik vagy akadályozzák az autista és/vagy értelmi fogyatékossággal élő embereket az érdekvédelemben. A doktori kutatást a University of Kent Tizard Ösztöndíja tette lehetővé. / The participation of people with intellectual disabilities and / or autism in the advocacy movement is a little researched topic. The following study, a brief summary of a doctoral research, goes into why advocacy discourses about people with autism and / or intellectual disabilities do not take place. Based on empirical data collected in Hungary and the United Kingdom, the study shows the extremely low level of stakeholder involvement and the factors that help or hinder people with autism and / or intellectual disabilities in advocacy. The doctoral research was made possible by the University of Kent Tizard Scholarship.

Introduction: Families have a significant role in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. However, it is not clear how actively families are involved when people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors are living in out-of-home care. This scoping review explored the frequency and type of family involvement in the application of a person-centered approach in the care for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. Methods: Authors conducted electronic searches through six databases: Embase, Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar (2005 to 2019) and evaluated relevant publications. Results: Based on the 15 articles identified, only five articles report on family involvement. In addition, frequency of contact, and how family is involved appears to differ between different person-centered approaches. Conclusion: More active family involvement in person-centered approaches for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors is recommended.

Background: Client-centred care serves as the foundation for healthcare policy. Indeed, various instruments for assessing clients’ experiences of care and support are increasingly used to provide insights into the quality, and client-centred nature, of the care and support provided, which, in turn, aids the development of subsequent improvements. The unique characteristics of care and support for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), such as the need for both lifelong and life-wide care and support across all aspects of clients’ lives, led to an initiative within Dutch ID care to jointly develop a range of instruments to assess the experiences of clients receiving ID care and support. Individual clients’ experiences and suggestions for improvement, which are embedded in clients’ care plan cycles, constitute the foundation of this Range of Instruments. This paper provides a unique, bottom-up, exhaustive account of the process of developing the Range of instruments used to assess the experiences of clients in the field of Dutch ID care. Methods: Relevant documents at three levels (i.e. 1) national documents, such as policy papers and governmental reports, 2) documents and reports from the Dutch Association of Healthcare Providers for People with Disabilities (VGN) along with minutes from the meetings of the expert Committee who assessed the instruments, and 3) correspondence between the Committee and developers as well as the forms used in the assessment process for each instrument) were qualitatively analysed by two researchers who had no affiliation with the development of the Range of instruments used to assess clients’ experiences in ID care and support. All of the documents were inductively coded using a thematic analytical approach. Informants who were either currently or previously involved in the development of these instruments were asked to provide clarification over the documents themselves and to explain the context in which they wer

Purpose: Stigmatisation can negatively affect opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to participate in society. Stereotyping, a first step in the process of stigmatisation, has been insufficiently explored for people with intellectual disabilities. This study examined the general public's set of stereotypes that is saliently attributed to people with intellectual disabilities as well as the relationship of these stereotypes with discriminatory intentions and familiarity. Materials and methods: A mixed-method cross-sectional survey within a representative sample of the Dutch population (n = 892) was used. Stereotypes were analysed with factor analysis of a trait-rating scale, and qualitative analysis of an open-ended question. The relationship between stereotypes and discrimination as well as familiarity with people with intellectual disabilities was explored through multivariate analyses. Results and conclusions: Four stereotype-factors appeared: "friendly", "in need of help", "unintelligent", and "nuisance". Stereotypes in the "nuisance" factor seemed unimportant due to their infrequent report in the open-ended question. "Friendly", "in need of help", "unintelligent" were found to be salient stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities due to their frequent report. The stereotypes did not relate to high levels of explicit discrimination. Yet due to the both positive and negative valence of the stereotypes, subtle forms of discrimination may be expected such as limited opportunities for choice and self-determination. This may affect opportunities for rehabilitation and might be challenged by protest-components within anti-stigma efforts. Implications for rehabilitation: There is currently sparse input for anti-stigma campaigns regarding people with intellectual disabilities. Anti-stigma interventions may benefit from adopting protest elements: education of the general public about inequalities

Background Increasing the societal participation of people with intellectual disabilities via competitive employment requires a full understanding of what this means to them. This paper aims to provide an in‐depth examination of the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in competitive employment. Method Interviews were conducted with six participants with mild intellectual disability or borderline functioning and good verbal communication skills. Interviews were analysed according to the guidelines of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Member checks were conducted. Results Analysis yielded three main themes: (a) Building on my life experiences, (b) My place at work and (c) Being a valuable member of society, like everyone else. Conclusions Competitive employment could make a substantial contribution to the sense of belonging to society and quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. Nevertheless, they must cope with stigma‐related obstacles and feelings of being dependent on others in the work environment.

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Item does not contain fulltext, BACKGROUND: Concerns have been raised about access to cancer screening and the timely receipt of cancer care for people with an intellectual disability (ID). However, knowledge about cancer mortality as a potential consequence of these disparities is still limited. This study, therefore, compared cancer-related mortality patterns between people with and without ID. METHODS: A historical cohort study (2015-2019) linked the Dutch adult population (approximately 12 million people with an ID prevalence of 1.45%) and mortality registries. Cancer-related mortality was identified by the underlying cause of death (according to the chapter on neoplasms in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision). Observed mortality and calculated age- and sex-standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. RESULTS: There were 11,102 deaths in the ID population (21.7% cancer-related; n = 2408) and 730,405 deaths in the general population (31.2%; n = 228,120) available for analysis. Cancer was noted as the cause of death more often among people with ID in comparison with the general population (SMR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.42-1.54), particularly in the young age groups. High-mortality cancers included cancers within the national screening program (SMRs, 1.43-1.94), digestive cancers (SMRs, 1.24-2.56), bladder cancer (SMR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.61-2.54), and cancers of unknown primary (SMR, 2.48; 95% CI, 2.06-2.89). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer was reported as the cause of death approximately 1.5 times more often in people with ID compared with the general population. This mortality disparity may indicate adverse effects from inequalities in screening and cancer care experienced by people with ID. LAY SUMMARY: People with an intellectual disability (ID) may find it challenging to participate in cancer screening or to receive timely cancer care. To understand potential consequences in terms of mortality, this study compared cancer-related mortality between p

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People with intellectual disability access innovative technologies in disability community centres in Australia, under the guidance of support workers. This article investigates the perspectives of 15 support workers and 5 managers across four community centres on the introduction and use of technology like tablets, video games, 3D printing, virtual reality, and social robots. They had diverse views on who is responsible for facilitating, embedding, and shaping technology for learning life skills and socializing. We found technology use to be driven by facilitator's knowledge (pre-existing, observed, or trained), interests, the value they place on the interactions afforded by the technology, and organization values. We discuss how future designs can emphasise communities of users while empowering individuals to achieve their goals. We suggest co-design strategies for assistive technology that involve support workers in the dual roles of proxy and co-user. We finally discuss how broader organisational factors can influence appropriation and use.

Most youths use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for socialising, but there is a discussion about whether using ICT promotes social participation for youths with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Employing the concepts of social participation and self-determination together with the youths’ perspectives, as conveyed by staff, we examine how social participation might be promoted for youths with ID in institutional settings in Sweden. The findings revealed three overarching themes. The first theme, Developing skills, self-determination and becoming less reliant, illustrates the basic use of ICT. The second theme, Sharing events, socialising and participating with others, draws attention to how youths take technology a step further to interact with others. The third theme, Resources and attitudes, concerns the youths’ need and desires for adequate support and equipment and the mindset of surrounding communities concerning ICT. Our conclusion is that ICT has the potential to promote social participation if the youths have access to personalised equipment and supportive staff. © The Author(s) 2022.

Item does not contain fulltext, This study aimed to examine the level of discrimination against people with intellectual disability during COVID-19, and assessed stereotypes, levels of familiarity with people with intellectual disability, and personal experiences with COVID-19 as potential correlates. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a large sample from the Dutch population (n = 1,797). Salient stereotype factors of people with intellectual disability were "friendly" and "in need of help," but not "give nuisance." Those respondents who were unfamiliar with people with intellectual disability in real life demonstrated higher levels of discrimination, perceiving them as more of a nuisance and as being less in need of help, in comparison to those who were more familiar. People with intellectual disability were judged by an ambivalent set of stereotypes during the COVID-19 pandemic that were in line with pre-COVID-19 findings and as such seemed to be fairly persistent and robust. There is a pressing need to both raise awareness of stereotypes towards and discrimination against people with intellectual disability via advocacy and education, and to facilitate positive encounters.

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304 p., ill., LIST OF FIGURES 6 -- LIST OF TABLES . 7 -- LIST OF BOXES .11 -- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .14 --  SCIENTIFIC REPORT 17 -- 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 17 -- 1.1 CONTEXT 17 -- 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND GENERAL METHODOLOGY 18 -- 1.3 CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS 21 -- 1.3.1 Impairment and disability .21 -- 1.3.2 Intellectual impairment and disability .23 -- 1.3.3 Health disparities, health inequities 24 -- 1.3.4 Reasonable adjustments .25 -- 1.4 LEXICON .27 -- 2 CHAPTER 2: BELGIAN LANDSCAPE OF HEALTH CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH ID 29 -- 2.1 AUTHORITIES AND REPRESENTATIVES 29 -- 2.1.1 National Superior Council for Disabled People .31 -- 2.1.2 Belgian Disability Forum 31 -- 2.1.3 Unia .31 -- 2.2 DISABILITY RECOGNITION .32 -- 2.3 PLACES OF RESIDENCE .33 -- 2.3.1 Services for children and youths 34 -- 2.3.2 Services for adults 34 -- 2.4 ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND ORGANISATION OF CARE 35 -- 2.4.1 Overview of the 7B model of access applied to people with ID 35 -- 2.4.2 Availability 39 -- 2.4.3 Affordability .39 -- 2.4.4 Trustworthiness .41 -- 2.4.5 Familiarity .43 -- 2.4.6 Reachability .44 -- 2.4.7 Functionality 44 -- 2.4.8 Comprehensibility .47 -- 2.5 CONCLUSION 47 -- 3 CHAPTER 3: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF HEALTH CARE USE 49 -- 3.1 INTRODUCTION .49 -- 3.2 DATA SOURCES 49 -- 3.3 METHODS 52 -- 3.4 LIMITATIONS 52 -- 3.5 RESULTS 53 -- 3.5.1 People with ID demographics 53 -- 3.5.2 Breast cancer screening 56 -- 3.5.3 Cervical cancer screening 57 -- 3.5.4 Contact with a general practitioner .58 -- 3.5.5 Global medical record 59 -- 3.5.6 Contact with a dentist .60 -- 3.5.7 Contact with a gynaecologist .62 -- 3.5.8 Diabetes 62 -- 3.6 CONCLUSION ON DATA ANALYSIS 66 -- 4 CHAPTER 4: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE SCAN ON BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS .67 -- 4.1 INTRODUCTION .67 -- 4.1.1 Theoretical considerations 67 -- 4.1.2 Methods 67 -- 4.1.3 Limitations 67 -- 4.2 RESULTS 68 -- 4.2.1 Different types of barriers .69 -- 4.2.2 Barriers to specific services and programmes 71 -- 4.3 CONCLUSION 87 -- 5 CHAPTER

Spanish universities still face many barriers to the training of people with disabilities, especially with intellectual disabilities (ID). In general, continuing higher education courses are the main training response for the latter. Knowing the impact that confinement by COVID-19 has had on the students of these courses is a relevant element. The present investigation focused on analyzing the case of the confinement experience of 12 young students with ID who attended the continuing training program called Unidiversidad at the University of Alcalá (Spain). In particular, the implications on their emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, and individual training were analyzed. Information was collected through a semi-structured interview with the students and a questionnaire with their relatives. The results reflect changes in emotional well-being linked to the increased concern of students for the health of their families. Interpersonal relationships were also affected, although participants tried to compensate for the lack of face-to-face interaction with instant messaging applications and video calls. The change in training to the online modality generated concern and uncertainty in students, although it also provided learning opportunities, which have been supported by peer tutoring and support from teachers.

Background: Medical care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is organized differently across the globe and interpretation of the concept of medical care for people with IDD may vary across countries. Existing models of medical care are not tailored to the specific medical care needs of people with IDD. This study aims to provide an improved understanding of which aspects constitute medical care for people with IDD by exploring how international researchers and practitioners describe this care, using concept mapping. Methods: Twenty-five experts (researchers and practitioners) on medical care for people with IDD from 17 countries submitted statements on medical care in their country in a brainstorming session, using an online concept mapping tool. Next, they sorted all collected statements and rated them on importance. Results: Participants generated statements that reflect current medical and health care practice, their ideas on good practice, and aspirations for future medical and health care for people with IDD. Based on the sorting of all statements, a concept map was formed, covering 13 aspects that characterize medical and health care for people with IDD across nations. The 13 aspects varied minimally in importance ratings and were grouped into five overarching conceptual themes: (i) active patient role, (ii) provider role, (iii) context of care, (iv) consequences of care for people with IDD, and (v) quality of care. Conclusions: The themes, clusters and statements identified through this explorative study provide additional content and context for the specific patient group of people with IDD to the dimensions of previous models of medical care.

Purpose: Within intellectual disability care organizations (IDCOs), it is vital that professionals share and apply knowledge to improve the quality of care for their service users. Given that chief executive officers (CEOs) play a pivotal role in enabling these processes, this paper aims to investigate both the underlying motives and strategies behind CEOs' organizational knowledge leadership and their contribution to improving these knowledge processes. Design/methodology/approach: In this exploratory qualitative study, 11 CEOs from IDCOs in the Netherlands who are actively involved in knowledge management within their organizations were interviewed. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Findings: CEOs’ motives for stimulating knowledge processes among professionals in IDCOs arise from the internal (e.g. the CEOs themselves) and external (e.g. policy) contexts. This study also identified four strategies adopted by CEOs to stimulate sharing and application of knowledge: providing organizational conditions for effective knowledge processes; focused attention on talent development; acknowledgment and deployment of knowledge holders; and knowledge-driven participation in collaborative partnerships. These strategies are used in combination and have been shown to reinforce one another Practical implications: An overview of strategies for stimulating knowledge processes is now available. Originality/value: The results display the leadership of CEOs in knowledge strategies. Insights into their perceptions and values are provided while elaborating on their motives to take this role.

The aim of this study was to describe the social care provided for different age groups of people with intellectual disability, 55 years or above, and to investigate the association between such care and frailty factors for those with diagnosed level of intellectual disabilities. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used. Commonest forms of social care among the 7936 people were Residential care, Daily activities and Contact person. Home help and Security alarm increased with age. The frailty factors significantly associated with increased social care were age, polypharmacy and severe levels of intellectual disabilities. Persons most likely to be in residential care were in the age group 65–79 with polypharmacy and severe disability. The results indicate a need for further research of how frailty factors are considered in social care and longstanding medication, especially then severe intellectual disability hinders communication. A national strategic plan for preventive interventions should be developed to ensure the best possible healthy ageing. © The Author(s) 2021., Funding: Faculty of Medicine, Lund University

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic meant that it became impossible for many individuals with intellectual disability to access specialist mental health support. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a set of guided self-help resources adapted for delivery on an outreach basis. Design/methodology/approach: The use and impact of the resources were evaluated through: data about downloads and requests for printed materials; interviews with individuals who used the resources; webinars with organisations; family members and support workers who had delivered the resources and an online survey with individuals who had delivered the resources. Findings: The resources had considerable reach, with over 12,555 printed copies requested from across Scotland. The materials were perceived to be relevant and useful, helping individuals to talk about difficulties and to be aware that others were facing similar challenges. Originality/value: The findings highlight the potential long-term value of guided self-help resources to help promote well-being that can be delivered on an outreach basis by family members and social care organisations.

Recent studies show that low literacy affects large segments of the adult population, both in Switzerland and Italy. Easy Language is an essential instrument of inclusion for people who would otherwise be excluded from access to written information and full participation in society. In Italy, high readability and comprehensibility of texts of public interest have been the focus of academic research since as early as the mid-1970s. Nonetheless, in recent years, little experimental research has addressed the impact of Easy Italian on text comprehension by people with intellectual disabilities (ID). This thesis aims to fill this gap. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to address the following research questions: (1) What strategies do translators employ when translating from Standard into Easy Italian?, and (2) Do translators’ strategies facilitate reading comprehension of Easy Italian texts to people with ID? Three health-related texts in Easy Italian are analysed in the context of their adherence to the European standards for Easy Language. A reading comprehension test is then conducted to assess the degree of readability and comprehensibility of the texts. The test is administered to 26 participants with mild to moderate ID. The analysis shows that all texts contravene several European guidelines. Furthermore, the test results suggest that non-compliance with guidelines hinders respondents’ comprehension of the texts. It is concluded that, on the one hand, standards for Easy Language are essential to guide the translator’s work. On the other hand, high comprehensibility can only be achieved through a careful consideration of the target communicative situation. Recenti studi dimostrano che bassi livelli di competenze alfabetiche funzionali interessano ampie fasce della popolazione sia in Svizzera sia in Italia. La Lingua facile è uno strumento essenziale di inclusione che può garantire l’accesso universale all’informazione scritta e, dunque, la piena

Contains fulltext : 245477.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access), BACKGROUND: Whilst assistive technology (AT) can play an important role to improve quality of life, health inequity regarding access to appropriate AT for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is still very much present especially in low resource countries. OBJECTIVES: This study focused on exploring factors that influence access to and continued use of AT by people with ID in the Western Cape province of South Africa and to suggest potential implications of these findings and actions required to promote access to AT. METHOD: A qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of people with ID and providers of AT. Face-to-face interviews with 20 adults with mild to profound ID, and 17 providers of AT were conducted and the data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: People with ID within the study setting faced many challenges when trying to access AT and for those who managed to acquire AT, its continued usage was influenced by both personal characteristics of the user and environmental factors. Important factors that influence AT access and use for people with ID found in this study were (1) attitudes from the community, (2) knowledge and awareness to identify AT need and (3) AT training and instructions to support the user and care network. CONCLUSION: With the perspectives of both the providers and users of AT, this study identified priority factors, which could be addressed to improve AT access and use for people with ID in the Western Cape province.

This article aims to contribute to the debate on how different educational contexts can facilitate the inclusion or exclusion of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). We carried out a qualitative study based on the principles of inclusive research with 36 Spanish adults with ID. The data were gathered through individual interviews, which were transcribed, summarized, and adapted for later analysis and coding with participants. Together with participants, we coded the interviews into two main categories: “mainstream schools” and “special schools.” The results revealed the experiences of people with ID in mainstream schools, resource rooms, and special education schools, analyzing their preferences for regular or special contexts. The main conclusions drawn suggest that people with ID had both negative and positive experiences of inclusion at mainstream schools. Nevertheless, they preferred regular contexts, valued the help provided by SEN support teachers, and highlighted the importance of adjusting the curriculum to students' educational needs. They also emphasized the need for greater empathy from classmates at mainstream schools.

Background: Client-centred care serves as the foundation for healthcare policy. Indeed, various instruments for assessing clients’ experiences of care and support are increasingly used to provide insights into the quality, and client-centred nature, of the care and support provided, which, in turn, aids the development of subsequent improvements. The unique characteristics of care and support for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), such as the need for both lifelong and life-wide care and support across all aspects of clients’ lives, led to an initiative within Dutch ID care to jointly develop a range of instruments to assess the experiences of clients receiving ID care and support. Individual clients’ experiences and suggestions for improvement, which are embedded in clients’ care plan cycles, constitute the foundation of this Range of Instruments. This paper provides a unique, bottom-up, exhaustive account of the process of developing the Range of instruments used to assess the experiences of clients in the field of Dutch ID care. Methods: Relevant documents at three levels (i.e. 1) national documents, such as policy papers and governmental reports, 2) documents and reports from the Dutch Association of Healthcare Providers for People with Disabilities (VGN) along with minutes from the meetings of the expert Committee who assessed the instruments, and 3) correspondence between the Committee and developers as well as the forms used in the assessment process for each instrument) were qualitatively analysed by two researchers who had no affiliation with the development of the Range of instruments used to assess clients’ experiences in ID care and support. All of the documents were inductively coded using a thematic analytical approach. Informants who were either currently or previously involved in the development of these instruments were asked to provide clarification over the documents themselves and to explain the context in which they wer

Background: One would assume that infection outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic have a deleterious effect upon the physical, mental, and/or social functioning of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Methods: A systematic search of four databases produced 18 articles. General information pertaining to the topics under consideration, information related to infectious diseases and ID were extracted. Results: All but one of the studies investigated the impact of infection outbreaks on the physical functioning of people with ID. Although in some instances certain studies briefly reflected on the impact of infection outbreaks on mental or social functioning, there was no empirical data available. Conclusions: There is scarce scientific knowledge on the impact of infection outbreaks on the mental and social functioning of people with ID. This underscores the exigency for further psychosocial research to both explore the impact of infection outbreaks and develop strategies to deal with them in the future.

A healthy lifestyle is important in several ways, however living healthy is difficult. It is even more difficult for people with intellectual disabilities to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In the Netherlands these people often live or work within healthcare organizations. Promoting and supporting a healthy lifestyle is an important part of healthcare support. However, it has proved very difficult in practice to consistently introduce developed programs into daily support. The aim of this research was to contribute to the implementation of healthy lifestyle within healthcare organizations. Scientifically substantiated points for improvement and a set of questionnaires were provided for this. The developed set of questionnaires consists of a checklist with the essential criteria for implementation of lifestyle interventions, the supplemented Measuring Instrument to measure Determinants of Innovations (MIDI) for evaluation of lifestyle interventions aimed at people with intellectual disabilities and a short, practical questionnaire to measure the attitude about supporting healthy exercise of direct support persons. All aspects and the set of measuring instruments were integrated in a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. The questionnaires can be used to gain insight into the improvement points of the lifestyle approach of organizations. The MIDI can support in the development and evaluation of interventions. And with the attitude questionnaire, courses for direct support persons can be used and developed in a more targeted manner. It is recommended to use the set of questionnaires in a process of recurring attention within a network approach. This can continuously improve the quality of healthy lifestyle support.

This article presents problematics related to social policy and the system supporting the vocational activity of persons with intellectual disabilities in Poland. Analyses aimed at finding an answer to the question posed in the title are based on the results of a research project entitled Employment and disability. An analysis of the vocational experience of people with intellectual disabilities in Poland, which aimed at an exploration of the policy of the employment of persons with disabilities, practices in the area of employment services, and a reconstruction of the experience of subjects involved in the work situation: job coaches, persons with intellectual disabilities, and coordinators of employment projects. The methodological framework of the project was provided by the grounded theory set in social constructivism as presented in Charmaz’s works. The research material was collected in 25 workplaces employing persons with disabilities in various parts of Poland, mainly by means of in-depth interviews, observation, and field notes. The paper presents only a small  fragment of the research results. The analyses focus on the presentation of the assumptions, goals, and trends of the employment policy, ways of functioning of the system of support of the vocational activity of persons with intellectual disabilities, and the confrontation of these systemic assumptions with the experience of persons involved in the implementation of this employment policy in the Polish reality. The article is therefore a critical analysis of the current policy of the employment of persons with intellectual disabilities, unmasking the existing paradoxes and apparent actions in the system of vocational support and the labour market, This article presents problematics related to social policy and the system supporting the vocational activity of persons with intellectual disabilities in Poland. Analyses aimed at finding an answer to the question posed in the title are based on the results of a research project entitled Employment and disability. An analysis of the vocational experience of people with intellectual disabilities in Poland, which aimed at an exploration of the policy of the employment of persons with disabilities, practices in the area of employment services, and a reconstruction of the experience of subjects involved in the work situation: job coaches, persons with intellectual disabilities, and coordinators of employment projects. The methodological framework of the project was provided by the grounded theory set in social constructivism as presented in Charmaz’s works. The research material was collected in 25 workplaces employing persons with disabilities in various parts of Poland, mainly by means of in-depth interviews, observation, and field notes. The paper presents only a small  fragment of the research results. The analyses focus on the presentation of the assumptions, goals, and trends of the employment policy, ways of functioning of the system of support of the vocational activity of persons with intellectual disabilities, and the confrontation of these systemic assumptions with the experience of persons involved in the implementation of this employment policy in the Polish reality. The article is therefore a critical analysis of the current policy of the employment of persons with intellectual disabilities, unmasking the existing paradoxes and apparent actions in the system of vocational support and the labour market

Organisations providing services for people with intellectual disabilities operate within a context of legal, moral, and institutional frameworks. This article uses an institutional framework to analyse two types of welfare organisations for people with intellectual disabilities in Sweden: inclusive education and disability arts. These two empirical cases show that because disability organisations operate at the intersection of different institutional spheres, their aims and activities are subjected to differing, and at times conflicting, expectations. Using an institutional framework helps to identify the influence of conflicting logics and external roles on the daily encounters that professionals have with people with intellectual disabilities. The findings raise ethical considerations about the moral status of people with intellectual disabilities in contemporary society.

People with intellectual disability have multiple health problems. People with intellectual disability have more physical and mental health conditions than people without intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disability may need more health checks due to increased prevalence of physical and mental illnesses. More studies are needed to understand what interventions are effective to reduce health problems in people with intellectual disability. Background Studies have reported increased prevalence of physical and mental health conditions in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to people without intellectual disabilities. However, there are no studies looking into specific health conditions at a national level and comparing with areas that are socio-economically disadvantaged (e.g. low income and low education attainment). This study examines and compares the prevalence of physical and mental health morbidity in people with and without intellectual disabilities at a local and national level in the UK. Method This study was an anecdotal analysis of physical and mental health data and annual health check-up for England (national), London (regional) and Haringey (inner-city borough of London) in 2016/17 using data from the NHS Digital database. Results Patterns of mental and physical conditions for people with and without intellectual disabilities were similar across Haringey, London and England data. Severe mental illness was more prevalent among people with intellectual disabilities compared to non-intellectual disability peers. This further increased in the inner-city London borough for the intellectual disability group. Certain physical health conditions were also more prevalent in people with intellectual disabilities. Certain activities such as monitoring blood pressure, recording body mass index and checking HbA1C were better in people with intellectual disabilities. Uptake of annual health checks for people with intellectual disabiliti

People with intellectual disabilities have a shorter life expectancy and an increased mortality rate across all ages compared to the general population. The main contributors to the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities include: (1) Social determinants such as poverty and unemployment; (2) Health problems related to intellectual disabilities (such as congenital abnormalities related to people with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities); (3) Limited communication and health literacy skills, which may reduce their capacity to understand and convey health needs effectively to others; (4) Personal health risks related to diet and sedentary lifestyle; and (5) Organisational barriers to accessing mainstream health care

In Germany, libraries or public training centers offer education programs for different target groups to foster digital participation. Yet, those programs often do not meet the requirements of people with intellectual disabilities, their formal caregivers or social institutions. A high degree of personal and organizational effort, lack of caregivers’ knowledge and expenditure of time materialize as barriers for caregivers in social institutions to support their clients to achieve digital literacy. However, the desires of people with intellectual disabilities to improve their digital skills have risen steadily in the last years. This article addresses the question of how education programs should be designed to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities, their formal caregivers, and social institutions. Therefore, requirements were derived from a secondary analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews with formal caregivers in social organizations, focus groups containing 50 people with intellectual disabilities, and an additional interview study with five experts form research and practice. As a result, a guideline with ten main points for designing education programs for people with disabilities, caregivers and social institutions is presented in this article.

In Germany, libraries or public training centers offer education programs for different target groups to foster digital participation. Yet, those programs often do not meet the requirements of people with intellectual disabilities, their formal caregivers or social institutions. A high degree of personal and organizational effort, lack of caregivers’ knowledge and expenditure of time materialize as barriers for caregivers in social institutions to support their clients to achieve digital literacy. However, the desires of people with intellectual disabilities to improve their digital skills have risen steadily in the last years. This article addresses the question of how education programs should be designed to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities, their formal caregivers, and social institutions. Therefore, requirements were derived from a secondary analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews with formal caregivers in social organizations, focus groups containing 50 people with intellectual disabilities, and an additional interview study with five experts form research and practice. As a result, a guideline with ten main points for designing education programs for people with disabilities, caregivers and social institutions is presented in this article.

Interpersonellt våld är ett globalt samhällsproblem som kostar liv och hälsa världen över. Individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning är i högre grad utsatta för våld och övergrepp i jämförelse med den generella populationen. Sverige saknar, trots 2008 års ratificering av FN:s konvention om rättigheter för personer med funktionsnedsättning, både kunskap, statistik och verktyg för att komma till rätta med våldet. Förevarande litteraturöversikt syftar till att med hjälp av aktuell svensk samt internationell forskning undersöka samt identifiera faktorer som verkar föranledande samt upprätthållande av våld mot personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Metoden för insamling av empiri grundade sig i en kvalitativ ansats där studier lästes in och analyserades enligt en tematisk analysmetod. Resultatet visade på en genomgående avhumanisering av personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning som går genom alla led i samhället. I kombination med de sårbarhetsfaktorer som kommer av funktionsnedsättningen föranleds och upprätthålls våldet. Slutsatsen landade i vikten av att socialarbetare och andra människobehandlande professioner har tillgång till verktyg där våld kan upptäckas hos personer som själv inte kan synliggöra sin utsatthet., Interpersonal violence is a global societal problem that costs lives and health worldwide. Individuals with intellectual disabilities are more exposed to violence and abuse in comparison with the general population. Despite the 2008 ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Sweden lacks the knowledge, statistics and tools to deal with this type of violence. The present literature review aims to, with help of current Swedish and international research, investigate and identify factors that seem to cause and perpetuate violence against people with intellectual disabilities. The method for collecting empirical data was based on a qualitative approach where studies were read in and analysed according to a thematic analysis method. The results showed a consistent dehumanization of people with intellectual disabilities which pass through all stages of society. In combination with the vulnerability factors that result from the disability, the violence is caused and maintained. The conclusion landed in the importance of social workers and other human treatment professionals having access to tools where violence can be detected in people who themselves cannot make their vulnerability visible.

Transforming the supports received by people with intellectual disabilities towards personalized options in which the person receives support in their own home makes essential the evaluation of these supports to improve them. The article presents the GAS-VI guide, an instrument for evaluating personalized supports in the feld of independent living offered to people with intellectual disabilities. It is organised around four dimensions: individual, interpersonal, organizational and community, and collects the assessments of the professionals providing support and people who receive it. The article presents the theoretical foundation of the GAS-VI guide, the design and validation process and a description of the content and material. The guide is an instrument to help professionals raise improvements in support aimed at fulflling the rights of people with intellectual disabilities., La transformación de los apoyos que reciben las personas con discapacidad intelectual hacia opciones personalizadas en que la persona recibe apoyo en su propio hogar hace que la evaluación de estos apoyos sea imprescindible para mejorarlos. El artículo presenta la guía GAS-VI, un instrumento para la evaluación de los apoyos personalizados en el ámbito de la vida independiente que se ofrecen a personas con discapacidad intelectual. Se organiza en torno a cuatro dimensiones: individual, interpersonal, organizativa y comunitaria, y recoge las valoraciones de los profesionales de apoyo y de las personas que lo reciben. El artículo presenta la fundamentación teórica de la guía GAS-VI, el proceso de diseño y validación, y una descripción del contenido y material. La guía es un instrumento para ayudar a los profesionales a plantear mejoras de los apoyos orientadas al cumplimiento de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad intelectual.

People with intellectual disability have multiple health problems. People with intellectual disability have more physical and mental health conditions than people without intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disability may need more health checks due to increased prevalence of physical and mental illnesses. More studies are needed to understand what interventions are effective to reduce health problems in people with intellectual disability. Background Studies have reported increased prevalence of physical and mental health conditions in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to people without intellectual disabilities. However, there are no studies looking into specific health conditions at a national level and comparing with areas that are socio-economically disadvantaged (e.g. low income and low education attainment). This study examines and compares the prevalence of physical and mental health morbidity in people with and without intellectual disabilities at a local and national level in the UK. Method This study was an anecdotal analysis of physical and mental health data and annual health check-up for England (national), London (regional) and Haringey (inner-city borough of London) in 2016/17 using data from the NHS Digital database. Results Patterns of mental and physical conditions for people with and without intellectual disabilities were similar across Haringey, London and England data. Severe mental illness was more prevalent among people with intellectual disabilities compared to non-intellectual disability peers. This further increased in the inner-city London borough for the intellectual disability group. Certain physical health conditions were also more prevalent in people with intellectual disabilities. Certain activities such as monitoring blood pressure, recording body mass index and checking HbA1C were better in people with intellectual disabilities. Uptake of annual health checks for people with intellectual disabiliti

© 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This review paper reflects on the existing literature on cognitive behaviour therapy for adults, adolescents and children with intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities have high rates of comorbid mental health disorders, but low rates of accessing treatments with limited treatment options available to them. Historically, they have been excluded from cognitive-based therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy. However, recent research has shown that people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities do have the capacity to engage in cognitive-based interventions. The review highlights the progress that has been made in the field of adapting CBT for people with intellectual disabilities, as well as the current gaps in the literature and suggestions for future research.

One of the challenges of modern societies is the access to ordinary employment of people with intellectual disabilities. In this article: 1) We will present the existing measures in the Canary Islands regarding educational attention to students with intellectual disabilities. 2) We will analyze the resources available and the processes of transit to employment from the education system and from the entities linked to employment. 3) We will examine the role of special employment centers and occupational centers. 4) We will analyze the characteristics of the Supported Employment model for access to ordinary employment of people with significant disabilities. This model, created in the United States in the 70s, has demonstrated its effectiveness for the labor inclusion of people with significant disabilities. 5) We will describe the situation of the Employment with Support model in the Canary Islands, highlighting some good practice projects. The employment of people with intellectual disabilities in the Canary Islands remains an anecdotal fact, despite the available resources and the trajectory of different specialized entities. It is necessary to document experiences, encourage research, take care of the process of transition to adult life, match economic investment in employability resources of a protected nature with those of ordinary character. Finally, it is necessary to inform and raise awareness about the ability people with disabilities to contribute to the creation of more profitable and sustainable companies.&nbsp, Uno de los desafíos de las sociedades modernas es el acceso al empleo ordinario de las personas con discapacidad intelectual. En este artículo: 1) Abordaremos las medidas existentes en Canarias en materia de atención educativa a los alumnos con discapacidad intelectual. 2) Analizaremos los recursos disponibles y los procesos de tránsito al empleo  desde el sistema educativo y desde las entidades vinculadas a empleo. 3) Examinaremos el papel de los centros especiales de empleo y los centros ocupacionales, destacando los aspectos que allanan el camino hacia el empleo ordinario. 4) Analizaremos las características del modelo de Empleo con Apoyo para el acceso al empleo ordinario de personas con discapacidades significativas; este modelo, surgido en Estados Unidos en la década de los 70, ha demostrado su eficacia para la inclusión laboral de personas con discapacidades significativas. 5) Describiremos la situación del modelo de Empleo con Apoyo en Canarias, destacando algunos proyectos de buenas prácticas. El empleo de las personas con discapacidad intelectual en Canarias continúa siendo un hecho anecdótico a pesar de los recursos disponibles y de la trayectoria de distintas entidades especializadas. Es necesario documentar experiencias, fomentar la investigación, cuidar el proceso de tránsito a la vida adulta, igualar la inversión económica en los recursos de empleabilidad de carácter protegido con los de carácter ordinario. Finalmente, es necesario informar y crear conciencia sobre la capacidad de las personas con discapacidad para contribuir a la creación de empresas más rentables y sostenibles.&nbsp

Rationale: This paper concerns mortality and needs for end-of-life care in a population of adults with ID living in generic care homes. Methods: Various sampling strategies were used to identify a difficult to find a population of people with ID in generic care homes. Demographic and health data were obtained for 132 people with ID. This included the Surprise Question. At T2, 12 months later, data were obtained on the survival of this sample. Findings: The average age was 68.6 years, and the majority were women (55.3%). Their health was typically rated as good or better. Responses to the Surprise Question indicated that 23.3% respondents might need EoLC. At T2, 18.0% of this population had died. The average of death was 72.2 years. The majority died within the care setting (62.9%). Implications: The implications for end-of-life care and mortality research are discussed.

Rationale: This paper concerns mortality and needs for end-of-life care in a population of adults with ID living in generic care homes. Methods: Various sampling strategies were used to identify a difficult to find a population of people with ID in generic care homes. Demographic and health data were obtained for 132 people with ID. This included the Surprise Question. At T2, 12 months later, data were obtained on the survival of this sample. Findings: The average age was 68.6 years, and the majority were women (55.3%). Their health was typically rated as good or better. Responses to the Surprise Question indicated that 23.3% respondents might need EoLC. At T2, 18.0% of this population had died. The average of death was 72.2 years. The majority died within the care setting (62.9%). Implications: The implications for end-of-life care and mortality research are discussed.