This study looks at learning disabilities in socio-cultural context. It does so by comparing the experiences of two small groups of people that each attend a day centre for adults locally considered as having learning disabilities. One of these centres is on the Greek island of Aniksi, the other in the small Welsh town of Ffynnon. It considers what goes on in these centres, the processes of classification that have lead to admission to the service, the experiences of the people that attend them and their parents. By examining the lives of individual people in local context, in particular in the area of work, socio-cultural elements have been identified that contribute to or act as barriers to their inclusion. I hope that this research will further understanding of their lives and the forces that shape them.