Global-Report-Living-Colour-dr2-2

Inclusive Communities = Stronger Communities
GLOBAL REPORT ON ARTICLE 19: THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND BE INCLUDED IN THE COMMUNITY
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Both mistakes that we have learned from and in some
instances mistakes that we continue to make. Some of the
most important of these would include:
‰ Cost Savings
Many of the early efforts to close institutions were
motivated, at least in part, by the lure of reduced
costs of community supports as compared to
institutional costs. This initial cost saving was due
primarily to the disparity between institutional wages
and community-based wages. In some countries this
gap has been closed but it continues to be an issue in
finding and keeping good support people in the
community.
While reduced costs should never be
the predominant consideration, the cost
neutrality of the conversion from
institutional model to a communitybased
model does pose increased
challenges to securing needed
government and community approval
and endorsement. Furthermore in
jurisdictions where only those people
who live in institutions receive state
sponsored support, the shift to
community supports would require the
opening up of resources to all people
with intellectrual disability.
Photo: Ulrich Eigner
Finally, while the average cost per individual living in
an institution may be higher than for that person to
live in the community with support, there are
transactional costs associated with the closure
process which require an initial investment. In the
short term, using cost savings as a motivation for
closing institutions is a mistake.