Toward the end of last year Beverly Dawkins published the following article: Dawkins, B. (2009). Valuing Tom: will Valuing People Now change the lives of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities? Tizard Learning Disability Review, 14(4), 3-12.
It is a response to the UK Valuing People Now policy shift and its impact on people with PIMD in the UK. It highlights the many ways in which the current policy has let down people with PIMD:
– decreased access to day services
– poor planning
– continued discrimination in health context leading to uneccessary pain and, at times, death
– continued inadequate access to advocacy
– …
New initiatives attempting to improve the lives of people with PIMD in the UK are highlighted: Emerson’s demographic study, Mencap’s various studies…
Although this is based in the UK, I believe this is highly relevent in the Australian context, both in terms of current and future issues.
Attentive Engagement