“Making A Difference”.

The Quality Action Group held a residential conference, called Making a Difference, on the 2nd and 3rd of February 2000 at the Buchanan Arms Hotel, Drymen.  Two sessions looked at our dreams: We Have a Dream, and Making It Happen.

We Have A Dream looked at our dreams and wishes for ourselves and for other people with learning disabilities in Stirling.  Making It Happen looked at what the Quality Action Group can do to make the dreams come true – and what is the job of other people.

In the “We Have a Dream” session, we split into small groups to look at the issues. The groups then met to tell each other what they had discussed.

Dreams for the Community.

There were a lot of ideas, and some ideas came up again and again.  These were:

• be a full member of local community;
• real jobs with real wages;
• health courses;
• be treated as an individual;
• use places the rest of the community use;
• social services should speak to us;
• meaningful leisure activities outside of “disability ghetto”;
• opportunities for people with complex physical and learning disabilities;
• different service providers should work together;
• a lifestyle which is really inclusive;
• ordinary activities in the community, not day centres;
• a community shop/café;
• building links with other disability groups;
• building links with other community groups;
• better transport;
• more things happening;
• links with employers;
• And, plan the future in full partnership with support staff and others.

Then we split up into groups again, to look at what our job is as the Quality Action Group, and what is the job of other people.  We were asked to think about whom we can get on our side. We looked at a real-life situation when posters offensive to people with learning disabilities were put up in a community where a group home was planned.

The groups all felt that people with learning disabilities could do much to improve relations in that community.  They could improve things in the short-term by building bridges, and in the longer term by showing a positive image of people with learning disabilities. We would then be respected as active citizens who are keen to accept both rights and responsibilities.  However, the groups said community support workers could and should be helping with this issue.

We agreed that we should not try to do it all ourselves, but should get help when we need it.  Since the start, the Quality Action Group has worked in partnership with others, and strongly believes in this way of working.  It was therefore decided that making the Dreams for the Community happen was not up to us alone.

Making Sure It Happens: Conclusions

We would like to play an active role in seeing them our dreams put into action.

This is partly because we want to be sure that people understand what we mean by ideas like ‘being treated as an individual’ (it means not providing services for the herd, and lumping me in with the service because that is easier).  It is also important because inclusion means really taking part in real choices.

What We Want.

The main thrust of our Dreams is that:

1. There should not be a traditional day centre, but that people with learning disabilities should have full access to community resources.
2. We want to take part in the same leisure activities that everyone else does.
3. We want real job opportunities.
4. We want social inclusion, and the rights and responsibilities that come with that.

Recommendations.

Stirling Council should continue to show the way in provision for people with learning disabilities.  In doing that, we recommend the following:

• Involve us in decision-making.
• You have the opportunity to be innovative in your day service provision: make sure you create inclusion and encourage individuality.
• Make sure we have the opportunity to have real activities and real jobs.