My only good is to be left be: Configurations on independent living for people with intellectual disabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35305/revistairice.vi50.2189Keywords:
ethics of care, independent living, autonomy, intellectual disabilityAbstract
In this article, we address the question: What are the perceptions of Independent Living (IL) held by people with intellectual disabilities themselves? We present an analysis of 14 semi-structured interviews conducted between June and December 2024 with individuals with intellectual disabilities aged 21 and older who work in a supported employment center in Andalusia, Spain. The results show that IL is perceived as a multidimensional concept encompassing both an individual dimension –focused on autonomy in daily functioning, employment and personal financial resources, independent housing, normalization, and empowerment– and a social dimension, centered on aspects such as rights, questioning professional and family intervention methods, solitude, intimacy, and social transformation. The subordination of IL to the individual dimension, particularly to the development of autonomy in execution, is identified as a problematic issue. This subordination creates inequalities among people with disabilities, weakens the political origins of the IL proposal, and reinforces the fiction of self-sufficiency. In contrast, the social dimension of IL highlights relational, institutional, and societal factors while still recognizing the relevance of individual aspects.
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