Results now available: NRP 76 project completed
Participatory research project addresses the history of institutions that care for the physically disabled.
Researchers from the University of Teacher Education in Special Needs investigated approaches to caring for people with physical and multiple disabilities in Switzerland from a historical perspective. By involving contemporary witnesses, the project was able to produce distinctive insights. The project was the first to carry out a historical investigation of both French- and German-speaking Switzerland and is notable for the way it closely meshes historical study with special needs care. The project highlights the discrepancies between the intention of the measures taken in care institutions for the physically disabled and the way these measures were perceived by the people affected. Moreover, the results demonstrate the importance of implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities quickly and in full for the benefit of people with physical and multiple disabilities.