Deinstitutionalisation of people with intellectual disabilities in Finland: a political perspective

A gap between the basic principles of deinstitutionalisation programmes and reality is evident in many countries. In this article, we approach this gap, using the deinstitutionalisation process in Finland as an example, as an incongruity between progressive disability policy and neoliberal economic policies. Drawing on earlier research and reports on both the neoliberal turn in economic policy and thinking and the current state of services for people with intellectual disabilities, we explore the ways in which the neoliberal turn has shaped the deinstitutionalisation process in Finland. We argue that it has at the same time accelerated the closure of long-stay institutions and hampered the development of alternative services. We identify which neoliberal economic policies are among the most crucial with respect to the development of the system of services for people with intellectual disabilities, and then analyse their effects. We offer also a theoretical interpretation of neoliberalism, arguing that at heart it is a political project.