Deinstitutionalization and People with Intellectual Disabilities: In and Out of Institutions

Many of the chapters are contributions from people with intellectual disabilities. They are based on a life history approach and give a unique personal account of the lived experiences of institutional life and deinstitutionalization by the people who were subject to it. The life story of Tom Allen (1912-1991) is interspersed throughout the book, providing a powerful testimony of the way institutions and deinstitutionalization have affected one individual over the course of almost a century.

Researchers and practitioners will find this book an insightful and accessible reflection on deinstitutionalization, and a source of encouragement for improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.