ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the historical bases for perspectives which resulted in – and indeed maintain – the repression of human rights for the people. It explores break free from restrictive approaches to service and uncover the models of leadership that have driven past and responses to the needs of people who experience intellectual disability. The chapter looks at the adoption of participatory models of leadership which may offer the hope of service responses grounded in greater inclusion. The model of leadership was matched to the service model. The emergence of service-based rights commissions and of national advocacy groups is evidence of their continuation, albeit in more attractive guises. Professions within intellectual disability services have justified their existence on the basis that they provide a specialist service to a specific group of people. A number of such services have been the focus of very public scandals which have exposed their lack of leadership.
