'I always do what they tell me to do': choice-making opportunities in the lives of two older persons with severe learning difficulties living in a community setting

Quality of life issues increasingly have been the focus of research in the field of disabilities. Quality of life has been described by some researche rs as encompassing several key factors; many of the descriptions have inclu ded the extent to which opportunities for the exercise of choice are presen t in one's life as a significant element of the construct. A case study was conducted to document the perceptions of two older adults with severe lear ning difficulties regarding their quality of life and their experience with choice-making in areas of life they identified as significant to them. Int erviews, observations and reviews of written documents were conducted Altho ugh the participants expressed overall satisfaction with their lives, they clearly were not content with some significant areas of their lives. Furthe rmore, in these significant areas, the participants lacked many choice-maki ng opportunities typically available to people without disabilities. The pa rticipants did not have a meaningful degree of influence over decisions reg arding their residence, the people with whom they lived, their personal fin ances or their daily routines. The results are discussed in terms of theori es proposed in the current literature regarding choice-making and direction s for future research are suggested.