Inclusive Livable Communities for People with Psychiatric Disabilities

March 17, 2008

SCOPE AND PURPOSE:

Two reports of the National Council on Disability, Livable Communities for Adults with Disabilities and Creating Livable Communities, set forth a livable community framework. These reports propose necessary changes in public policies regarding housing; transportation that is reliable and accessible; environments that are physically accessible, including work, education, and health care; and opportunities for participation in social and recreational activities. The intention of such change is to ensure that people with disabilities have all the opportunities and choices available to people without disabilities. All of these elements of change, with the exception of the accessibility of the physical environment, clearly apply to the estimated 24.6 million people with psychiatric disabilities. There is an additional accessibility need for people with psychiatric disabilities: attitudinal barriers continue to prevent people with psychiatric disabilities from full participation, barriers that provide segregated settings and prevent true community integration. To ensure full participation in the community by people with psychiatric disabilities, this report expands NCD’s livable community framework to be fully inclusive.