Arbeid, dagaktivitet, livskvalitet og utviklingshemning

Abstract

National survey report of the work- and activity situation among people with intellectual disability aims to elucidate how the national and county distribution of people with intellectual disability appears within the various employment and daily activities offered people with intellectual disability in Norway today, in light of labor market and social policy objectives about work. The county distribution displays that the municipal day programmes are still, in number of places and time, the most important day-activity for people with intellectual disabilities. 47,6% has their daily activities at the municipal day programmes. Registry data from the municipalities shows that 34.5% of all people with intellectual disability of working age has ‘Permanently adapted jobs in sheltered companies’. 20% of the users with intellectual disability in municipal day programmes fulfil the Labour and Welfare Administration’s (NAV) criteria for participation in ‘Permanently adapted work in sheltered companies’.

One can conclude that there is a relatively great need for more permanently adapted workplaces in sheltered companies for people with intellectual disability. The figures also shows negative correlation between the percentage of people with intellectual disability as users of municipal day programmes or work and number of inhabitants in the municipalities. The quality of life questionnaires indicate that people with intellectual disability report a higher degree of quality of life when being employed in ordinary or sheltered companies rather than being involved in municipal day programmes. The social educators work should be organized in such a way that one provides users an overview of the living conditions and what resources people with intellectual disability can build on. People with intellectual disability have equal claims to a meaningful life as others. Social educators should, through their professional competence, provide good input in decisions that affect the people with intellectual disabilities opportunity to live a dignified life in accordance with their values.