Promoting Independent Living for Young People with Disabilities: a Case Study

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) is an important reminder of the rights of people with disabilities all over the world. People with disabilities must start being viewed as individuals with desires and goals that need to be respected in the same way as any other adult (Mansell, 2006). Today it is a common perspective that people with disabilities should reach their goal of having an independent life wherein they can experience social relationships and leisure activities (Bradley, 2000; Parish, 2005) On the basis of these premises, the transition to adulthood, and the needs that arise from this transition, is a topic that still requires a great deal of attention, both in practice and in research. In order to ensure these emerging needs, new services have been created in our country. With the aim of investigating the reality of services in the area of north-eastern Italy, a survey carried out on three services is reported here (Two Day Care Services /One Community-Residential Housing). The survey focuses on projects written for young people with disabilities attending these services.