Editorial

Abstract

It is a great pleasure to introduce this special issue of the British Journal of Learning Disabilities which has a dual focus: research in Ireland and the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The idea for a specific Irish issue began with the recognition of the paucity of peer-reviewed journals in the area of disabilities in the Republic of Ireland. The purpose of this edition is therefore to enable researchers working with people with intellectual disabilities to publish their work and engage with other international researchers. We knew that Irish researchers were undertaking useful and relevant research which deserved publication recognition. It seemed timely to provide an opportunity for new research occurring in the Republic to be published and discussed. We hoped, too, that this issue would provide people with intellectual disabilities, service providers and advocates with a resource with which to further develop research activity. The second focus of this issue is the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This has been signed (though at the time of publication it had not been ratified) by the Government in Ireland. It has important implications for ways in which people with intellectual disabilities are perceived and how they live their lives. While positive changes in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities are happening there is still a great deal to do. For example a recent National Study of the Needs of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Ireland revealed that they wanted to have control, choice and support in a variety of areas such as being a paid employee, a decision maker, a self advocate, a partner in a relationship, a house owner, a respected citizen, a money manager, and a good communicator (Retrieved on 28th September, 2009 from http://www.tcd.ie/niid/research/projects/Allwewanttosay.php). These findings are interrelated to the provisions of the Convention, like discrimination, lack of inclusion in the community, lack of choice and the need to remove social barriers to people leading fulfilling lives. The Convention presents a positive step forwards in that it affirms the rights of disabled people. In asking contributors to this issue to refer to the Convention and the issues of rights we hoped to bring it into sharp focus and to begin to explore how its provisions may begin to be put into practice. We were very pleased that Professor Gerard Quinn, at the University of Galway, who was heavily involved in the drafting of the UN Convention was able to provide a leading article for this issue. The first section of the journal is concerned with an introduction to the Convention and to inclusive research as one means of supporting inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in their communities. It then follows a broadly life course approach with articles which are concerned with families and childhood, education and adult issues of quality of life and sexuality. It concludes with an account of a life history project with older people in Ireland. With the permission of the editor, in editing this issue of the journal, we have used the term intellectual disabilities rather than learning disabilities as this is the current term used in the Republic. During our times as editors our working lives changed significantly. When the project began we were all part of the National Institute for Intellectual Disabilities at Trinity College. During its development Kelley moved to the UK and Carol returned to New Zealand. However all of us continue to have strong links to the Republic. We hope that the papers in this issue will provide a stimulating and exciting statement about research and change in Ireland.