The Phenomenological Model as a Basis for the Inclusion of People with Intellectual Disabilities and Psychosocial Impact

Abstract

The inclusive proposals aimed at people with psychosocial disabilities lead us to review and synthesize the concepts and practices to establish foundations that support the actions taken towards their inclusion. This chapter reviews the approach of the phenomenological model as a substratum that validates as a right and as an ethical principle, the autonomy of people with disabilities, in the context of the transition from the classic notion that perceive disabilities as difficulties or limitations which people present, and that marginalize them from all social participation, to one in which ‘disability’ is conceived as a multidimensional phenomenon, resulting from the interaction of people with their environment. Thus, in the phenomenological view, persons with disabilities are seen as an expression of human existence; they are subjects committed to their social processes, involved with it and able to make valid decisions, which must be respected. In this chapter, we selected some ideas pertaining the model that support this inclusion process, discussed its ethical considerations, and then applied it to a case study.