'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
A. Treece et al., '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, DISABIL SOC, 14(6), 1999, pp. 791-804
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.