Institutional care is still a main form of support for persons with disabilities in Korea. Recently, however, the government has recognized the need for a policy of deinstitutionalization and community living. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of persons with disabilities who have left institutions for community settings and to provide evidence for policy-making.
Three research questions were set up for this purpose. First, what are the characteristics of housing movement among persons with disabilities who left institutions? Second, what are the factors that promote or disrupt deinstitutionalization and community living? Third, what are the characteristics of community living for persons with disabilities? In order to answer these research questions, we interviewed 25 persons with physical or developmental disabilities about their experience with living in community settings. The data collected through the interviews were analyzed based on the case study method.
The pattern of housing movements was classified by two perspectives: patterns by gradual flow of deinstitutionalization and the core motives of housing movement. As a result of the typology from two perspectives, four housing movement patterns were derived from each perspective. The unique characteristics of each pattern and differences by types of disability were analyzed.
Factors promoting or disrupting deinstitutionalization and community living among persons with disabilities were analyzed according to the ecological system theory of Bronfenbrenner, and eleven factors were derived from previous studies. Based on this analysis framework, the determinants that promote or disrupt deinstitutionalization were verified by the actual experiences of the persons with disabilities.
The community living experiences were divided into seven life areas: case management, housing, income and labor, health, daily living support, social relations, and emotion. The analysis shows that the experiences of persons with disabilities vary widely across individuals. This shows the importance of individualized support in deinstitutionalization policy. Based on the results of the study, we proposed a ‘transitional service package’ that can provide integrated and continuous services as the support system for deinstitutionalization and community living for persons with disabilities.