Dear Harriet,
Just as others act as advocates for people with intellectual disabilities,
a lot of support groups are made up of parents of kids with disabilities.
The parents often seem to have agendas that are at complete odds with
adults with the disability. Parents in groups I have been involved with
often continue to push their agendas for their children over the age of 18.
I remember one father who was very keen for his son's wife to be prenatally
tested for a genetic disorder the son had. The son did not seem so
concerned but father had a very strong personality.
Rosemary
At 08:45 AM 09/05/2001 +1000, you wrote:
>Dear Harriet,
>
>I am not sure if I have said this but am sure it could have been me!
>
>People who claim to speak for others often present opinion as fact. Also a
>person with experience of one type of disability has no more credibility
>when speaking for people with different disabilities than a non disabled
>person.
>
>People with intellectual disabilities are vastly under represented, and
>mostly rely on representation through family and carers. Much the same
>applies to people with mental disorders.
>
>Advocacy bodies and particularly 'peakbodies', usually funded by
>government have a problem convincing us that they are independent, and
>will bite the hand that feeds them without fear nor favour.
=================================================
Rosemary Pynor
School of Behavioural & Community Health Sciences
University of Sydney
PO Box 170 LIDCOMBE NSW 1825
AUSTRALIA
61 2 9351 9598 (ph)
61 2 9351 9540 (fax)
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