Southampton Centre for
Independent Living
Promoting equality across the South
Ian Loynes
Chief Executive, SCIL
Embedding the Social Model of Disability
Into the
Transforming Social Care Agenda
SCIL: Celebrating 25 Years 1984-2009
Independent Living
Independent Living is a philosophy, a way of
looking at Disability and society, and has
developed into a worldwide movement of
Disabled People who work for selfdetermination, self-respect and equal
opportunities
The first Centre for Independent Living
was founded by Ed Roberts, in Berkeley,
California in 1972. Created to offer peer
support; are run and controlled by
Disabled People and work to the
Social Model of Disability
12 Basic Rights
to Independent Living:
• Full ACCESS to our environment
• A fully accessible TRANSPORT system
• TECHNICAL AIDS/EQUIPMENT
• Accessible / adapted HOUSING
• PERSONAL ASSISTANCE
• Inclusive EDUCATION and TRAINING
• An adequate INCOME
• Equal opportunities for EMPLOYMENT
• Appropriate and accessible INFORMATION
• ADVOCACY (towards self advocacy)
• COUNSELLING
• Appropriate and accessible HEALTH CARE provision
Social Model of Disability
Social Model of Disability: 1976 (UPIAS) proclaimed that
Disability was: ‘the disadvantage or restriction of
activity caused by a contemporary social organisation
which takes little or no account of people who have
impairments and thus excludes them from
participation in the mainstream of social activities’.
Disability is a form of social oppression.
-------------------------------------------To me, the Social Model tells me: It is not my individual
impairments that Disables me, but the way that society fails
to accept me for who I am; and fails to meet my needs.
This is what Disables me.
-----------------------------------------I don’t deny medical intervention, I would be dead
without it! However, my equality of opportunity
should not depend on the availability of a cure.
I don’t need curing – I need Rights!
Embedding the SMD and IL
…into the Transformation of Social Care:
This is conceptually about 2 important principles:
1)Services should be personalised to the needs,
dreams and ambitions of the individual – Not
designed around their impairment, age etc
2) Services must be defined through the selfdetermination of the individual, empowered
through a desire for equality of opportunity and
with the support and encouragement of their peers
Threats … Opportunities …
To Disabled People (Service Users)?
To Society?
To the Social Care Workforce?
Thank You!
Ian Loynes
[email protected]
Tel: 023 8033 0982
www.SouthamptonCIL.co.uk
Presentation © SCIL 2010