Wendy Perez and Simon Duffy gave this talk on behalf of Citizen Network at the Inclusion International Conference in Birmingham 2018. They describe why the idea of citizenship should be central to how we think about life and community.

1. In and Out of the Box
Wendy Perez
Simon Duffy

2. Simon Duffy
• I am a philosopher
• I have also worked with
people with a learning
difficulty and their families
• I live in Sheffield, England
• I run a ‘think-tank’ called the
Centre for Welfare Reform
• I am a citizen

3. Wendy Perez
• I am a woman with a
learning difficulty
• I am a self-advocate
• I live in London, England
• I am a Fellow of the
Centre for Welfare Reform
• I am a citizen

4. We put people in boxes
Services

5. We stop people
from doing what
they want.
Why is there
always
a question for
people with a
learning
difficulty?

6. We can get out of the box
…with a little help from other people

7. See me as me!
Don’t put people in boxes!

8. I was the first
person with a
learning difficulty
in England to
work as a
consultant.
In 2003 I started
work at Paradigm
where I met
Simon…

9. Simon’s book
made sense - I am
not a patient
not a resident
not a service user
not a customer
not a consumer
I’m a citizen

10. When we get out of one box we’re
put in another…

11. Citizenship is an old word…
it means you are free,
equal and that you belong

12. So what are
the keys to
citizenship?
Wendy helped me
change my thinking

13. 1. Meaning
Swimming used to be a big part of my life

14. 2. Freedom
I like doing what I want to do
X

15. 3. Money
I pay my own staff

16. 4. Home
I should choose where I live
and who I live with

17. 5. Help
I use a personal trainer instead of
physiotherapist

18. 6. Life
I’m passionate about football

19. 7. Love
We are entitled to a relationship
including sex

20. There are lots of ways you
can use the keys to
citizenship

22. It’s time we
all started
to behave
like citizens

23. It’s time to
get out of
the box
and get rid
of all the
boxes

24. We’ve begun a global
movement for equal
citizenship

25. Join Citizen Network
www.citizen-network.org