The Dark Side

Daily Life, first prize stories

00-05-1999

Residents of Sølund, a special village in Denmark for people with a mental disability, live in small group homes and come and go freely within the community. Each group has its own management, which is responsible for a budget, hiring staff and coordinating with the rest of the village. Since 1998, Danish legislation has given disabled people rights to the same life-style and services as able-bodied people, and placed the obligation on local authorities to ensure this. The system has to adapt to the individual, rather than the individual being forced to adapt to the system. Sølund residents include people with Alzheimer's as well as those with autism, learning difficulties and psychiatric problems, ranging in ages from 18 to 100. A health-center in the grounds offers full medical services and therapy, and the village employs some 550 people overall for its 220 inhabitants.

Photo Credit: Casper Dalhoff

Casper Dalhoff (born in Aarhis August 24, 1972) is an award winning photojournalist from Denmark. He is raised in Ega and Ry and has lived in Aarhus, Copenhagen and Ry.