ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to elucidate barriers for everyday life decisions that, the people argue, can by extension, also underpin inaccessibility to societal community for people with intellectual disability. It takes as its point of departure Erving Goffman's notions of institutions and their characteristics and focuses on group homes in Sweden. The chapter discusses how barriers for everyday life decisions underpin inaccessibility for societal community participation, taking as its theoretical departure Goffman's notions of total institutions. It describes various aspects of group homes with different notions of accessibility, and how these different views of accessibility can construct inaccessibility. The group homes and legislated disability support services are intended to promote accessibility to community and society at large, however, their institutionalised character can itself create barriers and inaccessibility. Thus, inaccessibility in everyday life underpins the inaccessibility of societal community.