Magnus Tideman

Young people with intellectual disability - The role of self-advocacy in a transformed Swedish welfare system

A growing number of young people in Sweden with intellectual disability have organized themselves during the last 15 years in self-advocacy groups for socializing, empowerment, and expressing opposition to the norms and attitudes in a society that labels them as disabled. At the same time, the Swedish welfare system has transformed dramatically with processes of far-reaching individualization, closure of the major institutions, decentralization of responsibility from the state to local governments, and an emerging welfare market where service users are turned into customers. The aim of this article is to analyse and discuss the significance of self-advocacy in the new welfare context. Data were collected over a period of more than 10 years using repeated interviews with members of two self-advocacy groups and participation observations. Findings suggest that participation in self-advocacy groups opens up members for increasing health and well-being through new roles and identities, and it strengthens their control over everyday life. Support is still needed, however, but in new ways; otherwise, the restrictions of the institutions will simply be reconstructed in the new welfare system.

A comparison of living conditions for intellectually disabled people in Norway and Sweden: Present situation and changes following the national reforms in the 1990’s

Abstract In the 1990s, the service system for intellectually disabled people underwent national reforms in both Norway and Sweden. Responsibility was transferred from county to local authorities and institutions were replaced by community services. This paper presents a study comparing living conditions of intellectually disabled people in the two countries. Both living conditions immediately after the reforms and also the changes taking place during the reform years are compared. The paper is based on data from 987 (pre‐reform) and 1183 (post‐reform) subjects (born 1922–1970, 47% females). Results suggest fairly similar developments in living conditions, but there are a number of differences as well. In both countries changes in housing conditions are substantial. Changes for people affected by deinstitutionalisation were greater, compared to changes for people affected only by the transfer of responsibility. Results are discussed in relation to similarities and dissimilarities in the history of deinsti...

Employer attitudes toward hiring persons with disabilities: A vignette study in Sweden

BACKGROUND: Individuals with disabilities are often far removed from the labour market and research shows that employers’ negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities create a barrier to attaining employment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate Swedish employers’ experiences and attitudes toward hiring persons with various disabilities. METHODS: A vignette method with accompanying questions was used. A total of 212 employers, who were actively seeking to hire, were recruited via an online employment site and participated in the study. RESULTS: The results indicated that there is some interest for employers to hire persons with disabilities and that this depended on the type of disability a person has. Other results demonstrated that previous experience of employing persons with disabilities was linked to greater interest in hiring, that employers had greater interest to hire than they thought other employers had, and that openness about the disability was deemed as an important factor in the hiring process. CONCLUSION: The novelty of this study is its use of a vignette design to investigate employers’ attitudes in Sweden. Moreover, the results are much in line with international research. This contributes to knowledge and development of increasing employment for persons with disabilities.

Post-school options for young adults with intellectual disabilities in Sweden

The aim of this article is to examine life after school for young adults with intellectual disabilities in Sweden. It identifies a snapshot of the post-school destination in 2011 of students of Swe ...

Research Initiation Based on Idea-Circles: From Research Object to Co-Actor.

This article details an evaluation of a research project based on participatory research methods organized by the Swedish Disability Federation from 2008 to 2011. In Sweden there has been a lack of productive dialogue with the traditional academic world and the question was raised whether proposals for future research would be different if disabled people formulated them. Nine idea-circles with disabled participants and invited researchers from fields of interest close to the participants produced ideas, developed out of the life experience of being a disabled person. These ideas were developed into 72 research drafts that often reflected key advocacy areas, rather than operationalized research issues. The adjustment from the familiar discourse of political struggle to discussion of research was a complicated process for many. When asked to prioritize among areas for research, the representatives from the disability movement chose areas that are not stressed in mainstream disability research in Sweden.

Education and support for people with intellectual disabilities in Sweden: policy and practice

AbstractIn Sweden, the normalisation principle has been important behind reforms like deinstitutionalisation and the provision of services within the community for people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this collection of articles about Swedish disability policy and practice across the life course is to give a research-based examination of the current situation for people with intellectual disabilities. This introductory article gives an overview of the provision of education and support systems for people with intellectual disabilities in Sweden today, and highlights the current trends and challenges faced by these people. The paradox of increasing self-advocacy and at the same time increasing categorisation is discussed, as well as the discrepancies in service provision. Comparisons of similarities in, for example, marketisation between the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Swedish rights-based legislation should be useful for knowledge and development in both countries.

Self-advocacy in Sweden—an analysis of impact on daily life and identity of self-advocates with intellectual disability

Abstract Self-determination and the ability to express opinions and preferences are fundamental to all people. Some people with intellectual disability no longer accept a subordinated role as disabled and new self-advocacy groups have evolved. The aim of this study was to analyse the meaning and importance of engagement in a self-advocacy group for self-advocates daily life and identity. An interpretative abductive approach was used to analyse data from interviews with 26 self-advocates from six self-advocacy groups in Sweden in relation to the theoretical concepts; recognition, social capital, culture capital and self-determination. The key finding is that the vast majority of the participants experienced a changed self-perception, as more skilled, social and confident people, depending on group affiliation, their personal engagement and positions within the group. The conclusion is that self-advocacy is important for daily life and identity of people with intellectual disability. The self-organized movements indicate an important change in society and the results are of importance not only for the target group but for shaping future support and treatment from society of people with intellectual disability.

New labour market - old gender roles : working life after school for young adults with intellectual disability in Sweden

Transition into employment for young people with intellectual disabilities (ID) still poses a serious challenge to all stakeholders. Project Search UK (originating in the US) has developed over the last 5 years with some government support. The paper presents the results of an analysis of current employment rates for this programme in the UK.Aim: Taking a gender perspective, this study explores and analyzes the labour market situation for 2745 gainfully employed men and women with an educational background in the Swedish upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disability (ID).Method: This quantitative register study is based on the cross-classification of a newly created register and a two additional Swedish national registers. The analyses are based on logistic regression and chi-square tests.Results: Those who are employed after upper secondary school for pupils with ID are 70.8% men and 29.2% women. Both the road to work and the situation at work differs between men and women. Small private companies are the main employers in general, and for women the public sector is also a major employer. Men and women are mainly employed in traditionally “male” and “female” occupations. Also, salary levels and additional support from the welfare system differs between the sexes and within the different educational programs.Conclusion: Traditional gender roles of the labour market are clearly manifested among the people included in the study. Questions about the gender structure of the Swedish labour market and the impact of educational background on wage labour will be discussed.

Upper secondary school – and then?

Aim: The education system in Sweden has not yet formed a sustainable way into higher education and lifelong learning for students with intellectual disabilities. Discussions on inclusive education ...