Overview

The content of this chapter contains the essence of what rehabilitation should, logically and ideally, be about. Rehabilitation is a service that has been developed for disabled people; thus common sense should dictate that disabled people themselves should be asked what they want out of the service. Unfortunately, due to political and historical influences, this has often not been the case.

Disabled people have been voicing their needs for some time now, but this has largely fallen on deaf ears. Developments within the last few decades have demonstrated that these are not only needs, but they also constitute basic human rights. This in turn has led to some international changes in the legislative framework. Despite growing acknowledgement of their discrimination, many disabled people still feel that the healthcare service fails them. Often needs are assumed, without disabled people being asked directly, which has resulted in ineffective systems of care. This has meant that disabled people have had to find their own solutions to problems. One such solution has been through the development of independent living centres. This service evolved from the principles of the social model of disability (see Chapter 3), and often negates any input by qualified health and social care professionals. The relationship between such centres and traditional rehabilitative institutions varies enormously, often being nonexistent. By combining the academic background of health professionals with the first-hand experience of disabled people themselves, there is enormous scope for establishing a mutually beneficial arrangement.