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interview

is a recent touchstone for him. It describes
in detail people working for social
inclusion who are simultaneously making
things better for the whole community.
The challenge now, he says, is to find out
“what is the big agenda and how do we
become part of it?” He believes climate
change is the biggest challenge facing the
world. To address it, he says “we all need
to relate to each other differently” and
that, in turn, necessitates developing more
inclusive societies. He is working on a
project about sustainability and inclusion
for the Centre for Welfare Reform.
Reflecting back on An Ordinary Life,
Towell says that for 20 years the focus
was on closing the old institutions. “But
we can see in hindsight that we didn’t
stop new ones arising, especially in the
private sector,” he says. Work to achieve
equal citizenship will never be finished,
he now believes.
In closing, he draws from my own
story, as one of the foot soldiers of
deinstitutionalisation in the 1980s, and
says that it shows that “we can change
things from the bottom up when good
people find both inspiration and a
David Towell has worked to promote inclusion education internationally “because, if we get that supportive network . We are not going to
right, we’re more likely to get that sense of community and people being valued” get much from the top down in the
foreseeable future. But now we have
The first time it was “jaw dropping”, I tell He has been working in Puebla in more possibilities for connecting laterally.”
him. His response is typically modest: Mexico where the slogan is “Making He wants a new social movement for
“Well, I had a lot of practice.” Puebla better for everybody through the changes that are needed for people
He is unequivocal that supporting including people with disabilities”. Soon with learning disabilities in the 2020s,
providers is the best way to get the real after this interview, he was off on his 24th looking to the school pupils striking for
change in the world that people with trip to Colombia as well as to Bolivia and action on climate change: “Once they
learning disabilities need. However, he have sorted that out, we need them.” n
recognises the push for change from both ● David Towell’s writing can be accessed
pressure groups like Learning Disability “ The key resource to at: www.centreforwelfarereform.org/
England, which he helped set up, and moving things is the search/18105/
the powerful new networks of parents
with children in assessment and leadership of vision-driven Seán Kelly was chief executive of the
treatment units. providers and those Elfrida Society from 2001 to 2012 and is
“But the other main source of now a freelance writer and photographer
continuity with the values and efforts at they employ
making things work are the vision-driven Peru to work on advancing inclusive ” References
provider organisations. So, actually, I do Department of Health (2001) Valuing People
think that the key resource to moving – a New Strategy for Learning Disability for the
things is the leadership of these education. He has published seven papers 21st Century. http://tinyurl.com/naeskq3
organisations and, by proxy, the great in Spanish, despite not speaking the King’s Fund (1980) An Ordinary Life:
supporters that they employ.” language (he is having lessons), but says Comprehensive Locally-based Residential
facilitation skills are essentially the same, Services for Mentally Handicapped People.
Going global including “creating good spaces for London: King’s Fund
In recent years, Towell’s work has reflection on current challenges, helping O’Brien J, Mount B (2015) Pathfinders. People
with Developmental Disabilities & Their Allies
Seán Kelly/www.seankellyphotos.com they contributed to drafting the UN can do to advance them in their Everybody. Inclusion Press, Toronto
people be explicit about their values and
increasingly been international. He
Building Communities That Work Better for
then helping them to explore what they
worked with Inclusion International as
Rix B, ed (2006) All About Us! The Story of
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
situation”. And always asking: “What
People with a Learning Disability and Mencap.
more is possible?”
Disabilities, which he describes as
London: Mencap
The phrase “What more is possible?” is
“ordinary life at the global level”. He
Towell D (1988) An Ordinary Life in Practice:
accepts that not enough people in the UK
taken from a pamphlet by Towell’s old
Developing Comprehensive Community-based
pay attention to UN conventions but in
Services for People with Learning Disabilities.
many other places they are very important.
Beth Mount, Pathfinders (O’Brien, 2015),
London: the King’s Fund
www.cl-initiatives.co.uk friend John O’Brien, whose book with Community Living Vol 32 No 4 | Summer 2019 21