The politics of intellectual diability

There is a growing perception in the disability rights movement that traditional ways of thinking about and describing disability serve to oppress people with disabilities. The emerging social theory of disability attempts to describe the social constructedness of disability and views disability from a rights perspective. Informed by this theory and in an effort to give voice to people with intellectual disabilities, a qualitative study asking intellectually disabled self advocates to describe their experiences of life with an intellectual disability was conducted. Based on the findings of preliminary focus group research, individual interviews were conducted with four members of that group. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed following a narrative technique. Participants discussed their experiences and identified issues of importance. These issues included dissatisfaction with income support services, concerns regarding violence and abuse, inadequate social work support and a general lack of respect. The results of this study have implications for policy development, service provision and social work practice in general.Arts, Faculty ofSocial Work, School ofGraduat