hello all. I find this conversation regarding being support workers to
persons with learning difficulties (or as we say in Canada, persons with
developmental disabilities) very interesting but perhaps troubling. I spent
almost six years supporting developmentally disabled persons, some of whom
were blind. I am now in school haveing escaped 'social dis-servces'
Is being paid to support people actually useful? I concluded that
receiveing a cheque from a social dis-service agency (rather than from the
disabled individual themselves) placed me in an untenable conflict of
interest. I was paid to do what the agency wanted rather than what the
disabled person needed. Eventually,I quit. Today, more then twenty years
later, I remain an unpaid advocate. To me, being an advocate in a voluntary
relationship allows me to take direction from my friend whom I visit every
two weeks. if the agency violates his rights as they are wont to do (and
have for many years) I challenge them openly.
I wonder about the possibility of communities where group homes and other
sordid types of residences are simply not needed? What if disabled persons
simply lived with families, biological and / or otherwise? what if supports
were provided directly so disabled persons controlled them? Why spend energy
reforming a system designed to oppress when we could be creating a community
emboldened to liberate? lilith
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