Avoiding being institutional isn’t enough. Defining rules of what people can’t do isn’t enough. Limiting the size, activities, or structures of a home isn’t enough. Stripping away “institutional-alities” does not a meaningful home make.
Micaela Connery investigates the challenges adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities face when searching for a suitable home. Hundreds of thousands of adults with disabilities across the U.S. sit on housing “wait lists” for home and community-based services.
Individuals with disabilities and advocates have been fighting for thoughtful supports, inclusion in communities, and independent living since the 1960s “based on the premise that people with even the most severe disabilities should have the choice of living in the community.” The challenge isn’t new, but the solutions will need to be.