Independent Futures. Creating User-led Disability Services in a Disabling Society

The number of disability related support services controlled and run by disabled people themselves has increased significantly in the UK and internationally over the past forty years. As a result, greater user involvement in service provision and delivery is a key priority for many western governments. This book provides the first comprehensive review and analysis of these developments in the UK. Drawing on evidence from a range of sources, including material from the first national study of user-controlled services, this book provides a critical evaluation of the development and organization of user-controlled services in the UK and identifies the principal forces — economic, political and cultural — that influence and inhibit their further development. It summarises and discusses the policy implications for the future development of services and includes an up-to-date and comprehensive literature and research review.