Empowering people with intellectual disability

Services for people with intellectual disabilities are not necessarily a high priority even in the high-income countries. We look in this issue at the way in which approaches to support are provided in three contrasting regions, with different cultures and histories. We begin with an account of intellectual disability in India, where Dr Satish Chandra Girimaji discusses past and present frameworks for care and education. It is a cultural norm within the subcontinent that families are expected to look after relatives with disabilities, both in childhood and in adulthood; it seems that this long-standing tradition continues. On the other hand, rapid industrialisation and urbanisation mean that it is ever more difficult for families to cope with disability, because of other pressures, without externally provided support services. The tension between tradition and economic development is palpable.