How many people with intellectual disabilities are currently living in Lower Austria and how many will be living there in 2020 and 2025? These were the central questions of the survey "Demand planing for facilities for people with intellectual disabilities in Lower Austria".

On behalf of the Department of Social Affairs of the province Lower Austria, the authors of the study, Selma Sprajcer, Christian Schober and Günther Kainz, dealt with these questions and highlighted the developments in the areas of housing and day care.

According to the survey, there are a total of 7,089 persons with intellectual disabilities in Lower Austria. 7,061 persons were living in institutions, alone or with their families on the cut-off date 31 December 2012. 7,073 persons worked in Lower Austria, attended an educational institution, took advantage of a support measure or were looked after in day-care centres during the day. By 2025, the number of people with intellectual disabilities will increase by 11%.

7,814 persons with intellectual impairments will then live in Lower Austria and 7,634 will be employed or cared for during the day. The forecast calculations are based on the assumption supported by studies (cf. Connolly 2006 and Wacker 2002) that, due to the ever improving medical and nursing care, the number of persons with intellectual disabilities will develop in line with the number of persons without disabilities.

Looking ahead to the next decade, the age group of people over 65 will be particularly relevant for the forecast. So far, there have only been a few people with intellectual disabilities at this age, as they were murdered during the National Socialist era. Now, the first group of people born after the war will reach this age. Of the slightly more than 550 places needed in the "housing" sector up to the year 2025, almost 90% of the additional places will have to be allocated to people aged 65 and older.

If we still take into account people who live alone or with their families and who are no longer able to live in this form of housing because of their own advanced age or their parents, another 179 places will be needed. This would result in a total of 732 additionally required places in institutional care in Lower Austria until 2025.

In order to ensure that the future supply is well adapted to the identified needs and to take into account the needs of the persons concerned, the results of the study will be discussed in a participatory process together with self-advocates and representatives of the supporting organisations. The process will again be scientifically accompanied by NPO Competence Center.

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