The Norwegian Welfare System and how its programs support Norwegians with intellectual and developmental disabilities is described and proffered as a case example of how one nation's public policy shifted to provide community-invested services for people with lifelong disabilities. The foundation of Norway's shift to complete reliance on home and community supports for its citizens with intellectual disabilities lies in the health and welfare system that is in place for all Norwegians. Social change began in the mid-1970s when a governmental commission examined Norwegian social policy for people with developmental disabilities using four factors: (1) the ideological tenets of the principle of normalization, (2) the government's commitment to decentralization of services, (3) the goal of the integration of persons with disabilities, and (4) moving toward a broader definition of developmental disabilities as a target group for services. The commission's recommendations of closure of institutions and the devolution of services led to a reliance on local townships and municipalities. However, this process was not without its problems, such as competing demands for public services and local economies, and dealing with barriers posed by resistance to social integration and inclusion. The author explores the Norwegian experience and the dilemmas faced by local communities in attempting to meet the national goals of a "noninstitutional society."