Over the last five years in Scotland and across the
UK, people with learning disabilities have been the
target of considerable legislative and policy changes. A
key theme relates to the inclusion of people with
learning disabilities in the community in education, in
training and employment, and in relation to accessing
health, housing, and leisure services. This is perhaps
best exemplified by the review of learning disability
services, The Same as You?, published by the Scottish
Executive in 2000, and the parallel document in England,
Valuing People, which was published in 2001. As a result
of these initiatives, people with learning disabilities,
their families, service providers, policy makers, and
other professionals working alongside them have to
navigate their way through a very complex array of
regulations and provisions. Author Gillian McIntyre
acknowledges and addresses this complexity by mapping
and critically reviewing these relevant policy
developments in Scotland and across the UK. Drawing on
the available research evidence, the author adopts a
life cycle approach, tracing the journey taken by young
adults with learning disabilities upon leaving school
and making the transition to adulthood and beyond.
Focusing on the major areas identified in The Same As
You?, McIntyre identifies key messages in the fields of
education, training, employment, health, and social
work. The book thus contributes an inter-professional
perspective to the field of learning disability and
provides essential reading for professionals working
within the field, as well as for students of social
policy, disability studies, and other related
disciplines. |
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