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Keren Shalem Foundation

I Am a Person – North Dakota Filmed Testimony about the Experience of Going Out to the Community of People with developmental intellectual disabilities in the USA

Date: 01/09/2017 | Institution: Shalem Fund | Author: Sharon Ganot

 In 1982, Judge Bruce Van-Sikla legislated a series of laws which changed the way in which North Dakota treats and takes care of its citizens with intellectual disabilities. Thousands of children and adults left the crowded dormitories and began integrating in communities all over the country. Thirty years later, the public broadcast authority Prairie Public in North Dakota, investigated with historic context, the implications and the results of the reform. The film “I Am a Person” meets the people affected most significantly from the change. It investigates what is possible when people with developmental intellectual disabilities receive all they require in order to lead a happy life in the community, and what happens when the awareness of their contribution to the community is gradually established, and how they even become part of the social capital

 

From 2015, the Division of Services for Persons with Development Disabilities at the Ministry of social affairs and Social Services has been leading the process of leaving the dormitories in favor of residence in the community. The goal was set for moving about 900 people currently living in dormitories, to residence in the community
 
The Shalem Fund has received the permission of the Prairie television network to edit segments of the film and translate them into Hebrew and Arabic, when the goal is to learn from the experience of other countries which have made a process of moving people with developmental intellectual disabilities from dormitory residence to residence and full integration in the community. The consultation and content editing was performed by Nili Ben-Dor, suprtvisor for the management of knowledge, religion and training at the Division of Services for Persons with Development Disabilities in collaboration with Sharon Ganot, director of information at the Shalem Fund
 

The editing, translation and title tracking were performed with the initiative and financing of the Shalem Fund. The three edited segments, To view them press here 

 

Producer : Kim Steenehjem, Editor: Heidi Nelson Original Music : Steve Wallevand & Tim Sparks    

©Prairie Public

 

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