Final Words from the Editors

Abstract

At the beginning of this book project we hadn’t envisaged there would be so many contributions from so many individuals and from self-advocacy and user-led groups. Some stories are of ordinary lives which demonstrate resilience and some from people who have achieved special things. But all are valuable stories of citizenship. Our book includes contributions from over 100 authors; we feel a significant achievement and a celebration of citizenship. The book demonstrates that it is possible for people with learning disabilities to enjoy a good life and benefit from the rights enshrined in the UNCRPD. It takes imagination, determination and energy, but it can be done. However only one or two of the positive stories in the book come from conventional services. To achieve their dream of citizenship, people have been supported by their families, by advocacy groups, by academics and researchers, not by the people paid to ‘care’ for them.