A life like others in community with others: living conditions and participation for people with disabilities

The conference has a focus on research on impairment, disability, and special education.

It aims to enable scientific presentations of current research aligned with the principles of the normalization principle, reinterpreted within a contemporary perspective.

Additionally, the conference aims to offer an arena for engaging in scientific discussions about theories, methods, and conditions for research on impairment, disability, and special education within the scientific community.The conference is organized in memory of Bengt Nirje´s 100th birthday.

In the 1960s, Nirje formulated the principle of normalization as a critique of institutional care, and it was spread nationally and internationally.

The principle of normalization concretely stated that people with disabilities should have the opportunity "to live like others in a community with others".

The principles are still relevant but can be understood through contemporary concepts such as self-determination, accessibility, and participation.

These concepts are also expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and thus guiding principles for contemporary understanding of living conditions for persons with disabilities.

Accordingly, the conference focuses on various thematic areas such as: accessibility, participation, education, working life, housing, and habilitation.The conference is primarily targeted at researchers in related fields. We expect around 75 attendees, researchers, PhD students and other interested participants.

The conference is a joint arrangement involving the research environments Special Education, Development and Learning, Disability Research, and Social work and care in a life-course, all at Örebro University.

The program spans over two days and includes two keynote speakers, parallel sessions and concludes with a network meeting for the Swedish network for disability research. The conference presentations will be compiled into a publication series.