The closure of institutions and the provision of community-based supports, which the DRC, People First and others have been pushing for years, is something which happened decades ago in the UK. Here’s a 9-minute BBC podcast which tells the story of one person who survived institutionalization and fought for his right to community living.
In the 1990s Britain closed down many of its long-stay hospitals and asylums and their patients were sent to new lives in the community. But the transition wasn’t always easy. Some people had suffered abuse and found it hard to adjust to life outside. Lucy Burns has been speaking to “Michael” who has a learning disability, about his experiences both inside and outside of institutions.
To view the BBC Witness to History podcast page click here.