| The expression of self-determination is not an act of independence, but an expression of causal agency in an interdependent environment. For a person with an intellectual disability, self-determination is expressed through interactions with a support network often comprised of family, friends and paid staff. This study examines self-determination in the context of relationships between people with intellectual disabilities and the staff paid to support them. The theoretical guide for this enquiry incorporates a social model of disability that recognizes impairment; interpreted through the lens of interdependence and the feminist ethics of care. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with two relationship groups comprised of a person with an intellectual disability and the staff supporting them. People being supported were recruited first, and they were asked to recruit staff. The findings reveal decision making domains and processes, as well as relationship characteristics that impact the autonomy of people with intellectual disabilities. Self-determination is presented as an expression of relationships between people who require support and those who are paid to provide it. |
