Learning Disabilities:
A Bold Vision – or the Ultimate Betrayal?

Day Centres did not fail - they were never given a fair chance to succeed

There has never been a more urgent need to consider the future of Care in the Community services for people with learning disabilities and their carers. The compulsion to accept nothing less than total community inclusion for every person with learning disabilities may be built on good intentions but this is of little consolation to families who suffer from the policy vacuum that this has brought about. The clock has already been turned back so far that for many carers vital specialist and structured services have become memories replaced by inequitable ad hoc community provision.

There is no dispute that maximising inclusion on a realistic and achievable basis should be obligatory however complex or severe the handicaps but common sense should prevail. Current inclusion/normalisation theories and policies and the consequences for day care, respite, and intentional residential options and services urgently need critical scrutiny and analysis.

The crucial question is to what extent is unqualified 'inclusion' rational and beneficial - does it always improve the quality of life of every service user and carer?

Why Is An Internet Debate Necessary Now?

Powerful lobbies of organisations and individuals lacking detailed knowledge and experience in this area of need have successfully manipulated vital policy debates to pursue personal agendas. 'Experts', strong in rhetoric and ambition, but short in commonsense and experience, have misinterpreted the work of genuine pioneers dedicated to achieving rational normalisation. Historical facts and commendable theories have been distorted, with myths perpetuated as facts to implement policies with attractive but unrealistic agendas.

Sadly, other radical elements are reluctant to acknowledge their limitations but prefer to pursue career or commercial gain regardless of the consequences for service user or carer; whilst the failure of the major charitable organisations to effectively address and challenge bizarre policy proposals gives victims little hope of a brighter future.

Parents and carers have been misled, intimidated, brainwashed, or simply through complacency, been compelled to accept policy changes which compromise their own and their adult children's interests. This will continue until all have access to balanced arguments.

Hence the urgent need for an open and informed debate in the public domain - but this will not come easily. Debate regarding this area of social need is suppressed rather than encouraged and the media mainly concerned with the sensational and dramatic show relatively little interest in the long term domestic and social problems of this highly vulnerable section of our society.

Commonsense dictates that a moratorium is placed on further closures of day centres, intentional residential community resources, or respite care facilities until a coherent and comprehensive national policy has been identified and validated.

The media do not want to know; major charities have not really wanted to know; it appears that it is only through the internet that parents/carers might eventually gain an insight into the historical failures that have brought about the current dire situation.

Major charitable organisations have got out of touch with their membership and it will only be when the members become fully aware of the situation that has been developing - and the ultimate potential consequences - that they too will start to unite for the common good and make their voices heard at national level.

This is a wake up call for today - tomorrow will be too late.

Copyright Charles Henley 2008