Giving a voice to people with intellectual disabilities

Good practices on user-centred evaluation of services

People with intellectual disabilities can get help from support services in everyday tasks. People giving support services should take into account the needs and opinions of people with intellectual disabilities. A French organisation has a survey for people with intellectual disabilities to give their opinion on support services.

Are support services for people with intellectual disabilities responding to their needs? This questions should not be answered by institutional bodies and disability organisations, but by the receivers of this support.

Taking into account the opinion of people with intellectual disabilities on this matter is crucial to develop and implement quality support services. Besides, considering their role on service evaluation means also recognising their condition of citizens and their right to express their opinion on issues directly regarding them.

Users can be involved in the evaluation of services by giving them the role as interviewed people or by taking part in a research discussion. They can also play a role as experts who are engaged in the development and implementation of an evaluation. Many disability organisations have raised their voices on the need to give people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to express themselves and take part on service evaluation.

Following this purpose, the French organisation Unapei provides downloadable surveys for people with intellectual disabilities and their families to evaluate the adequacy of support by medico-social institutions.

There are two different surreys: the first is specifically addressed to people with intellectual disabilities and the second to their families. These documents may be a tool for associations to collect information on the concrete expectations of people with disabilities and their closest social environment.

This kind of evaluation is an effective way to ensure the representation of the needs and interests of users, improve the quality of the services and give people with disabilities the opportunity to express their needs.

The surveys are available in French here:

Survey for people with intellectual disabilities

Survey for families of people with intellectual disabilities