Inclusion of people with intellectual disability in the decision-making and governance of disability and community organisations.

BACKGROUND

The value of people with disability being involved in the decision-making and governance of community organisations is increasingly being recognised. This paper reports on research that aims to understand governance models that promote the recruitment, decision-making, and leadership of people with intellectual disability.

METHOD: A descriptive phenomenological analysis of 27 semi-structured interviews was conducted. The participants were board members with intellectual disability (n = 5), board members with a disability other than intellectual (n = 6), board members without disability (n = 4), senior management staff (n = 8), and board support people (n = 4).

RESULTS

Five themes emerged from the data. These themes reflect the impact of inclusion, pathways of skill development, accessibility requirements, the provision of skilled support, and the concerns that create a barrier to inclusion.

CONCLUSION

Inclusive governance appears to work best when organisations value and commit to inclusion, setting up skill development pathways to governance roles, with accessible practices and individualised support.