Presented by Andrew Power at the NNDR (Nordic Network on Disability Research) Conference in May 2019.

In the presentation, Andrew explored the difficulties which support organisations face in trying to provide sustainable opportunities for people with learning disabilities, as well as to understand how signs of '8hopeful adaptation' are unfolding. While the concept of self-building a life is about having more of a say in one's life, it's also about being supported to gain the skills to take up available opportunities. Hopeful adaptation refers to the practice of adapting to adversity, with some promise of this practice becoming transformative. The research has shown that these signs are varied: at broader level, local initiatives to support community participation are evolving, but others are folding.