DEFINITION OF AN INSTITUTION
One of the first goals of the Task Force was to define an institution according to the reality of people who had lived in one. Through input from all members of the Task Force, the following definition of an institution was developed.
This definition has been adopted for use by the European Coalition for Community Living. It has been considered for adoption by a Cabinet Committee in Japan. It has also been used in Inclusion International’s Campaign on Article 19, as well as in several research papers.
An institution is any place in which people who have been labeled as having an intellectual disability are isolated, segregated and/or congregated. An institution is any place in which people do not have, or are not allowed to exercise, control over their lives and their day to day decisions. An institution is not defined merely by its size.
Plain Language Definition of an Institution
(written by Leta Jarvis - Task Force Member)
“An institution is any place where people like me and David are put. We cannot go where we want, or when we want to go somewhere.
We can’t see who we want. We don’t want to be there.
An institution is not about the size of the building. It’s about having control of our lives.
It’s about us making choices and making our own decisions. And having the right support to do that.”