Breaking out of a distinct social space: reflections on supporting community participation for people with severe and profound intellectual disability

Background  Typically people with intellectual disability have small, highly restricted social networks characterized by interactions with other people with intellectual disabilities, family members, and paid workers. The goal of ‘inclusion’ has been central to policies that have shaped services over the past 30 years. It is an ill defined concept with disagreement about its meaning, the problems it seeks to overcome and how it should be realized. Method  Ethnographic and action research methods were used to support and collect data on the implementation of a programme, known as the Community Inclusion Framework, in a group home for five adults with severe intellectual disabilities in Victoria, Australia. Results and Conclusions  A pattern of service delivery based on community presence rather than participation evolved and endured over 16 months. The findings show that most staff attached a different meaning to inclusion from that proposed in the Community Inclusion Framework, disagreed with the proposed meaning or felt these residents were too different for it to be meaningful. This suggests that priority will only be accorded to activities that lead to inclusion if staff are convinced of the veracity of this and given strong and consistent direction and support.