At our April 2023 Open Meeting, we heard from David Wilks of Our Life Our Choice, who are campaigning for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to have the same rights as everyone else to choose where they live, including in group and village communities. We would like to encourage our members and friends to support the campaign in two ways in particular.
Sign the petition
Please sign the Our Life Our Choice petition calling on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to amend their current guidelines so that all people with learning disabilities and/or autism have the same fundamental human right to choose where they live and receive care, according to their individually assessed needs, as does everyone else.
Well managed and regulated group and village communities should be considered equally alongside small urban and rural residential living, supported living, and independent living.
Share your stories
Our Life Our Choice are also collecting stories and experiences of life in village and other intentional communities founded by voluntary organisations from the 1960s to the 1990s. The aim is to create a digital archive of stories which can be used in articles, papers and a book. This will be a balanced piece of research detailing all aspects of day-to-day life in communities, both the highs and the lows.
If you and your family member are interested in taking part, please contact Katie on contact@ourlifeourchoice.co.uk.
