'I Always Do What They Tell Me To Do': Choice-making opportunities in the lives of two older persons with severe learning difficulties living in a community setting

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Abstract
Quality of life issues increasingly have been the focus of research in the field of disabilities. Quality of life has been described by some researchers as encompassing several key factors; many of the descriptions have included the extent to which opportunities for the exercise of choice are present in one's life as a significant element of the construct. A case study was conducted to document the perceptions of two older adults with severe learning difficulties regarding their quality of life and their experience with choice-making in areas of life they identified as significant to them. Interviews, observations and reviews of written documents were conducted. Although the participants expressed overall satisfaction with their lives, they clearly were not content with some significant areas of their lives. Furthermore, in these significant areas, the participants lacked many choice-making opportunities typically available to people without disabilities. The participants did not have a meaningful degree of influence over decisions regarding their residence, the people with whom they lived, their personal finances or their daily routines. The results are discussed in terms of theories proposed in the current literature regarding choice-making and directions for future research are suggested.

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