This part of the book addresses the following questions:

• • What values relevant to defining a good life underpin current disability theories, ideas and discourses?

• • What contribution have they made to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities?

• • How well have the theories been translated into practice by those who work with people with disabilities?

It seeks to deconstruct some of the conceptual and theoretical perspectives that have framed changes and reforms in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Its key argument is that the dominant theoretical frameworks of the late 20th century, which have been developed and applied to practice in this field, have not systematically addressed the idea of a good life for people with intellectual disabilities, although some of the themes that we have described earlier in this book seem to be included as part of the theories and policies that have been developed. In particular, the chapter considers the values that underlie each of these conceptualisations and their links to ideas of what makes a good life.