‘I shouldn’t be living there because I am a sponger’: negotiating everyday geographies by people with learning disabilities

an article by Andrew Power and Ruth Bartlett (University of Southampton, UK) published in Disability & Society Volume 33  Issue 4 (2018)

Abstract

Learning disability policy has for some time been framed by the goal of inclusion which purports to enable people with learning disabilities to lead a ‘life like any other’ person.

This article examines the extent to which this is the case in England, by tracing the lived experiences of people with learning disabilities within their communities.

The article draws on two interlinked qualitative studies involving interviews that examined their local place-based experiences of inclusion and exclusion. The findings reveal ‘moments of inclusion’ and opportunities for social encounter from peer support, but these were situated amidst wider experiences of exclusion and harassment.

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