Abstract

Social inclusion policies often assume that community integration is beneficial for all people with disabilities. Little is known about what actually happens in encounters between people with and without severe intellectual disabilities in the public space. Based on social-constructionist and responsive-phenomenological insights, we performed participant observation, semi-structured interviews and researcher reflexivity to study encounters between Harry (pseudonym), a man with a severe intellectual disability, his neighbours, fellow service-users, support professionals, and the first author. A thinking-with-theory strategy was adopted to interpret and deepen observations and reflections. We argue for more ‘experimental-relational spaces of encounter’ between people with and without severe intellectual disabilities, wherein the latter put down their verbal and cognitive weaponry. This proved to be more appropriate for spending ‘quality time’ with Harry then typical satisfactory neighbourhood interactions – often embedded in verbality, habits, routines and rationalizations that do not reflect the existence of people with severe intellectual disabilities.

• Points of interest

• An increasing number of people with severe intellectual disabilities live in homes in a neighbourhood setting.

• However, in everyday neighbourhood life people with and without severe intellectual disabilities hardly ever encounter each other in a way both of them like.

• The research shows that this lack of pleasant encounters can be related to powerful rules about how we should interact in the public space in the 21^st century.

• In the neighbourhoods we studied, people without intellectual disabilities are in control of these rules. They prefer verbal and cognitive interactions in the public space. Non-verbal and less cognitive approaches are often seen as inappropriate.

• The research recommends that people without intellectual disabilities should open up for more fitting ways to communicate with people who cannot speak (for themselves).

摘要

社会包容政策通常假设社区融合对所有残疾人都有好处。人们对在公共场所遇到严重智障者和非严重智障者之间的实际情况知之甚少。基于社会建构主义和响应现象学的见解，我们进行了参与式观察、半结构化访谈和研究人员反思，以研究严重智力残疾的哈利（化名）与他的邻居、服务使用者、支持专业人士之间的相遇，以及第一作者。采用以理论思考的策略来解释和深化观察和反思。我们主张在有和没有严重智力障碍的人之间建立更多的“实验关系空间”，其中后者放下了他们的语言和认知武器。事实证明，这更适合与哈利共度“美好时光”，而不是典型的令人满意的邻里互动——通常嵌入在言语、习惯、惯例和合理化中，这些都不能反映严重智障人士的存在。

• 兴趣点

• 越来越多的重度智障人士住在邻里的家中。

• 然而，在日常生活中，患有和不患有严重智障的人几乎不会以他们都喜欢的方式相遇。

• 研究表明，缺乏愉快的相遇可能与 21 世纪我们应该如何在公共空间互动的强大规则^有关。

• 在我们研究的社区中，没有智力障碍的人可以控制这些规则。他们更喜欢在公共空间进行口头和认知互动。非语言和认知较少的方法通常被认为是不合适的。

• 该研究建议没有智力障碍的人应该开放更合适的方式与不能说话的人（为自己）交流。