Social services for people with disabilities have undergone substantial changes over time, in particular in the past two decades. Whilst lack of affordable and appropriate housing is a barrier to community living for many people with disabilities, it is only one part of the jigsaw. This book traces some of these changes, in particular related to living situation and support available, in a range of different countries and considers the factors that have influenced these changes. This book considers other aspects of what is needed to bring about real change in the lives of all people with disabilities.

Section 1: The development of community living: Trajectories and turning points

1.1 Introduction to the book and to the development of community living
(Jan Šiška and Julie Beadle-Brown)

1.2 Deinstitutionalisation and community living: The past, the present and the future
(Julie Beadle-Brown, Milan Šveřepa, Jan Šiška with contributions from the late Jim Mansell)

1.3 25 years after deinstitutionalisation – current status of community living in Norway
(Jan Tøssebro)

1.4 The current situation regarding personal assistance and independent living in Sweden
(Johanna Gustafsson)

1.5 Ireland’s journey to a person-centred approach to disability support services
(Christine Linehan)

1.6 From hospitalisation to (de-?) institutionalisation: The challenges of implementing Art. 19 in Austria
(Gertraud Kremsner)

1.7 Independent living and community inclusion in Brazil
(Flavia H. Santos, Luciana M. Fonseca, Eder R. Silva)

1.8 Towards community-based disability support services in Czechia: Nearly there?
(Jan Šiška and Pavel Čáslava)

Section 2: Defining, measuring and ensuring high quality services

2.1 Definitions of quality and the importance of measuring and focusing on service quality
(Jan Šiška and Julie Beadle-Brown)

2.2 Ensuring quality – the living conditions approach in Scandinavia
(Jan Tøssebro)

2.3 Active Citizenship as a measure of outcomes and the quality of social services
(Šárka Káňová, Jan Šiška and Julie Beadle Brown)

2.4 Ensuring quality in practice – person-centred approaches
(Jill Bradshaw)

2.5 Promoting independence and safety with medication technology for people with disabilities
(Alaina Gallagher, Seunghee Lee, James Houseworth, and Betul Cakir-Dilek)

2.6 Personal assistance as a support for the quality of life of people with disabilities
(Magdalena Hanková, Soňa Kalenda and Julie Beadle-Brown)

Section 3: Making change at the systems level – what is needed for successful implementation of the UN-CRPD

3.1 Section 3 Overview: Introduction to system wide change
(Julie Beadle-Brown and Jan Šiška)

3.2 Balancing the rights of respect for autonomy and protection from harm: Lessons from the Mental Capacity Act 2005
(England and Wales) (Camilla Parker)

3.3 Definitions of and barriers to high-quality services and support, particularly in the context of independent living in Sweden
(Johanna Gustafsson)

3.4 Exploring the intellectual disability data landscape for policy and service directions: An Irish perspective
(Mary-Ann O’Donovan,Sarah Craig, Philip McCallion, Mary McCarron and Elaine Byrne)

3.5 Measuring outcomes of people with disabilities in the US: Current challenges and opportunities
(Renáta Tichá, and Brian Abery)

3.6 The role of local planning in the implementation of the UNCPRD
(Johannes Schädler and Lars Wissenbach)

Index

Authors’ biographies