• To be aware that social inclusion for people with intellectual and development al disabilities (IDD) is a focus of welfare policies and legislation in many countries
• To recognise that the implementation of policy and legislation for people with IDD is the shared responsibility of governments, and health, education and social care professionals
• To identify shared learning among students in health, education and social care programmes as one means of achieving social inclusion for people with IDD
Policies for people with disabilities, and specifically those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), have undergone significant changes during the past three decades. Many people with IDD experience social exclusion, which has significant implications for the individual, their family and wider society.
Today the focus is on accessing universal services, care and support in the community to facilitate social inclusion. Professions and professionals in health, education and social services implement social inclusion policy in the field of IDD. However, there is a lack of coherence between the policy intentions of social inclusion and the realities of professional practice. Educational collaborations involving academics, students and practitioners from the professions working with people who have IDD provide an opportunity for shared learning. These collaborations support the development of knowledge and understanding, and the barriers that need to be addressed to achieve social inclusion for people with IDD.
Learning Disability Practice. 24, 1, 19-28. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2020.e2120
Correspondence Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Conflict of interestNone declared
AcknowledgementThe publication of the article is co-funded by Erasmus + programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed are solely those of the authors
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