For two years Studio Anne Ligtenberg worked with two cases in the care for people with intellectual disabilities to see how a fresh perspective from us as outsiders could initiate a new movement in care issues which are stuck. With our observations, interventions and approach, we worked towards a more humane living environment for our two cases and an attitude of the caregivers based on trust instead of fear and risk aversion. How did we do that? Listen to this podcast.

This project was set up by the University of Human studies and the CCE. For more information about the project click here.

 

Background

Care for people with intellectual disabilities has, due to pressure from society, legislation and institutions, increasingly focused on transparency, accountability, safety and preventing incidents. Difficult-to-understand behaviour is the result of an interaction between the person and his/her environment. It exists when a person's behaviour is insufficiently understood. The crucial point here is that people with severe/moderate intellectual disabilities are almost exclusively present in an institutionalised care context, so the professionalised 'glasses' described above largely determine how difficult-to-understand behaviour is understood.

Because these people are virtually invisible in contexts where other perspectives apply than in care, logically - in addition to everything that is noticed - much remains out of the picture when we only look through the 'professional-care context spectacles'. The outsiders provide a new perspective and put what is seen as normal by the care system to the test. The human approach to people with disabilities opens up space for better care.

 

Photography first two photo's:Wouter Kooken

Project WAVE

Nederlands/English

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