As Tom Shakespeare suggests, identity politics can be a double edged
sword.
By way of contribution to this discussion, the Centre for Developmental
Disability Studies here at the University of Sydney is currently
conducting research into friendship issues for young adults with
intellectual disability (combining qualitative and quantitative
techniques - at the risk of opening up an entirely new debate).
The initial findings of our research suggest a peer group which includes
peers with disability is highly valued by young adults with intellectual
disability and that maintaining these friendships as they move from
school to work or further post-school education (e.g.,Technical And
Further Education or TAFE) is considered to be a high priority by young
adults with intellectual disability.
Many of the young people we have been interviewing talk about the
importance of 'getting around in the community' and 'meeting lots of
people', but nearly all come back to discussing particular friends with
intellectual disability who they identify as 'knowing what its like to
have a disability'. Of course you could deconstruct this and interpret
the basis of such friendships to be 'unconditional acceptance',
independent of any construct of 'disability' - but we are not yet living
in utopia.
Our experience suggests that these peers relationships (based on a
common identity linked to 'disability') might not always be recognised
and / or given equal value by those involved in supporting young adults
in transition (generally not people with intellectual disability
themselves), who tend to emphasise the importance of forging
relationships with people without intellectual disability, all too often
at the exclusion of people with disability (the rationale for which is
often articulated / justified by a gross misuse of the principles of
Normalisation - again at the risk of opening up another debate).
Regards,
Keith.
Keith R. McVilly
B.A.., Grad. Dip. Psych., M. Psych. (Clinical)
MAPS & Member of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists
University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine
Centre for Developmental Disability Studies
PO Box 6 RYDE 1680
New South Wales
Australia
Tel. 61-(0)2 - 8878 0500
Fac. 61-(0)2 - 9807 7053
Mob. 61-0419 590 857
E-mail [log in to unmask]
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