“Project Lifestyle” and new forms of living for the mentally retarded in the local community

Abstract

Since 1890, representatives of the Ministries and Departments of Social Security in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark have been working to create a foundation and a framework for a common Scandinavian research and development project concerning the quality of life of the mentally retarded. In 1992, with financial support from The Nordic Council of Ministers, the exchange of information and the building up of a network was begun, involving those taking part in some 50 development projects in Scandinavian countries. The project has focussed on three themes central to efforts made on behalf of and with the cooperation of mentally retarded people in these countries: the mentally handicapped person in the local community, independence and the quality of life, and communication. The aim of the project is to establish a Scandinavian network of key persons in the field, to systematise and propagate promising developments and to cast light on differences and similarities between various Scandinavian models for research and development related to the mentally retarded.