Does the education of young people in specialized institutions promote “social integration” and autonomy? Historical insight based on the lived experience of people with physical or multiple disabilities in French-speaking Switzerland (1960s – 2000s)
Since the middle of the 20th century, an environment marked by rapid economic growth has been particularly conducive to the advent of integrative approaches that redefine education and professional training. In the field of disability, new regulations stipulate rehabilitation measures that are aimed particularly toward, historically, “social integration” and increased autonomy of the persons concerned. Yet, in the closed setting of institutions for special education, the achievement of such objectives comes up against certain structural and cultural obstacles, specific to the institutional system. This article is the result of a study conducted by a multidisciplinary team (history and special education), presenting testimonies of people with physical or multiple disabilities who were socialized in specialized institutions and schools during their childhood and youth in French-speaking Switzerland. Their real-life experiences, in combination with sources from institutional archives, have made it possible to examine the evolution of practices in contexts of school and vocational training from the 1960s to the 2000s. Testimonies from the people concerned raise two main issues, namely a gap in their skills emerging during transition from school to vocational training, and the fact that vocational trainings offered do not readily meet the challenges of social integration and autonomy.