Bengt Nirje on Normalization

Bengt Nirje: And then the normal week of the year and the changing of the seasons, all the various kinds of things, Halloween, World Series, Christmas, birthdays, what have you; all the different food weeks, all the different clothes you wear, all the different activities you have and all the community participation, in religion, in national events and so on. And that you are able to take part and share as citizens, even if you are profoundly mentally handicapped, even if you are severely mentally handicapped. That's a very important point and that you are sharing as being part of the [Inaudible] of your culture; that you're not outside, that you are in it. And that also has to do with the proper criticism that we can do on society, on churches, or whatever if they are discriminating.