Living in an ‘ordinary’ neighborhood? A care-ethical exploration of the experiences of young adults with mild intellectual disabilities

POINTS OF INTEREST: This article offers new insight into the effects of a major change in long-term care policy in the Netherlands that emphasizes participation. Care ethics focusses on practices, in which more than two people are involved, that help meet needs of care (or fail in this respect). The article presents an inquiry into the experiences and needs of six participants living in a Dutch facility where youths and young adults with Mild Intellectual Disability are supported to participate in society, as expressed by themselves in photos and interviews and as observed through the method of shadowing. The results of this inquiry are three aerial photos that show how the participants live in supporting networks with gaps, underscoring their experiences of being displaced and feeling unacknowledged in the vicinity of their home. Different organizations directed at care for young adults with Mild Intellectual Disability can learn from the care needs that result from this way of organizing care.