By Valerie J. Bradley
A very dear friend of the intellectual disability community, Bengt Nirje, passed away on April 8, 2006. He was honored by the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) in 2003 with the International Award and many of us had the great privilege to hear him reflect on a life well lived. Most Americans were first exposed to Nirje's powerful ideas in the 1969 groundbreaking report published by the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities entitled, Changing Patterns in Residential Services for the Mentally Retarded." Deceptively simple but profound in its effect, Nirje's conception of normalization laid the groundwork for social inclusion and self-determination. His vision was to structure supports consistent with:
Normal rhythm of the day;Normal rhythm of the week;Normal rhythm of the year;Normal life cycle developmental experiences;Normal right to choices and self-determination;Normal sexual patterns of their culture;Normal economical patterns of their society;Normal environmental patterns of their community
In speaking of the impact of Nirje's simple words Bob Perske said, "Bengt Nirje set off a carnival of fresh ideas regarding persons with retardation." Bengt Nirje was a brilliant, optimistic and an articulate trailblazer of the 20th century. He was also a poet with a love of language and ideas. He was a wonderful mentor both to those he touched personally as well as to those he has influenced and nurtured through his writings. Clearly, he is a person who made our world a better place.
Valerie J. Bradley is President of the American Association on Mental Retardation
May 11, 2006