The Politics of Disablement
Chapters (9)
The issue of meaning has been a central one in discussions of differences between the natural and social worlds and the generation of appropriate methodologies to understand these worlds. As far as the social sciences themselves are concerned, the debate around this issue has centred on the violation of meaning through the imposition of inappropriate theoretical perspectives or the ignoring of meaning through the collection of non-reflexive and abstracted data.
Building upon the distinction made between impairment and disability, it is possible to argue that both are culturally produced. Further, in seeking to develop a social theory of disability it has recently been argued that ‘A theory of disability … then must offer what is essentially a social theory of impairment.’ (Abberley, 1987, p. 9)
The stressing of the need to provide a theoretical explanation of disability and the importance of developing a historical understanding of it, do not imply the endorsement of the theory of historical materialism, nor its applicability to a proper understanding of the nature of disability, for
It is not necessary to be a Marxist to recognise that economic conditions have a significant impact on social behaviour and on relationships between different groups of individuals in society. (Harbert, 1988, p. 12)
No attempt to develop a social theory of disability can ignore the issue of ideology for
there is a clear relationship between prevailing social structures, dominant ideology and the way society handles its deviants. (Abbot and Sapsford, 1987, p. 7)
The personal response of individuals to their disabilities cannot be understood merely as a reaction to trauma or tragedy but have to be located within a framework which takes account of both history and ideology. Thus
a materialist understanding of the individual must centre upon two aspects of the ensemble of social relations of which the person is constituted: the performance of labour and the incorporation of ideology. (Leonard, 1984, p. 180)
So far, it has been suggested that the ideological construction of disability has been determined by the core ideology of capitalism, namely individualism; and that peripheral ideologies associated with medicalisation and underpinned by personal tragedy theory have presented a particular view of the disabled individual. But that is only part of the story, for the category disability has also been constructed as a particular kind of social problem. Hence
We contend that disability definitions are not rationally determined but socially constructed. Despite the objective reality, what becomes a disability is determined by the social meanings individuals attach to particular physical and mental impairments. Certain disabilities become defined as social problems through the successful efforts of powerful groups to market their own self interests. Consequently the so-called ‘objective’ criteria of disability reflects the biases, self-interests, and moral evaluations of those in a position to influence policy. (Albrecht and Levy, 1981, p. 14)
The final two chapters will consist of an analysis of the current provision of services, a consideration of future trends within the capitalist state and a more speculative and visionary discussion of alternative possibilities. A critique of the current restructuring of the welfare state along lines set by the political right will be provided and this will be followed by a consideration of alternative conceptualisations provided by the political left. Finally it will be argued that we need to move beyond the traditional left—right framework for understanding political activities, with its associated and traditional notions of interest representation, and move towards an understanding of the disability movement as part of the development of new social movements, characteristic of late capitalism. Only then will we begin to grasp the importance of the politics of disablement.
The preceding analysis has suggested that disabled people cannot look to either the welfare state or traditional political activities to effect considerable material and social improvements in the quality of their lives. The only hope, therefore, is that the disability movement will continue to grow in strength and consequently have a substantial impact on the politics of welfare provision. This chapter will thus consider the emergence of new political activities, which have been characterised as ‘new social movements’, and discuss the emergent disability movement as part of this new phenomenon. The structure and tactics of the disability movement will be considered, along with the role of the state, before, finally, an assessment of future possibilities will be made.
There is a sense in which this book can be read both pessimistically and optimistically. The argument suggests that the dominant view of disability as an individual, basic, medical problem is created by the productive forces, material conditions and social relations of capitalism. The chances of transcending these forces, conditions and relations are therefore intrinsically bound up with the possibilities of capitalism itself being transcended. These possibilities do not appear to be likely to materialise in the foreseeable future, for, even allowing the idea of post-capitalist society, such a society appears more as an extension of capitalist forces, conditions and relations than as a transition on the road to socialism.
... Disability is political. This is the idea the DPM was founded upon, and leading theoristsincluding Marxist (Oliver, 1990;Finkelstein, 2001), bioethicist (Shakespeare et al., 1996), feminist (Garland-Thomson, 2005), and critical disability studies scholars (Goodley, 2014) -have repeatedly put forward theories to assert this. However dominant cultural narratives frame disability differently: as individual tragedy related to impairments or as a diversion from normative notions of bodily or cognitive functioning. ...
... Impairment is the bodily, sensory or cognitive condition located in someone's body or mind -and disability is present on the social level where people with bodily, sensory or cognitive/behavioural differences are disabled by a host of barriers, including oppressive political, economic, cultural and social processes, institutions, and practices. This 'politics of disablement' (Oliver, 1990) includes regimes that restrict disabled people's legal capacity rendering them to 'legal death' (Dhanda, 2006); denying their right to vote or to stand for election; confining them to closed institutions, often for a lifetime; segregate them from early childhood in 'special' schools with poor outcomes; lock them out of public spaces; exclude them from politics. The list could go on. ...
Disability is seldom studied in the context of democracy even though disabled people represent 16% of the population and the disabled people’s movement has been influencing laws and policies in all modern democracies. This study explored how disability movements work in changing and eroding democracies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Data was collected in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Serbia.
The study confirms that democratization and de-democratization influence disability movements and their position. Although the inclusion of disability movements in policy-making has been established through formal consultative and monitoring platforms, disability movements’ participation in policy-making remains mostly tokenistic in CEE. Democratic backsliding affects movements’ coalition-building capacities, and mobilization becomes harder. Where democratic erosion is stronger, movement organizations exercise self-censorship and avoid open criticism of government politics. The study argues that reactions to democratic erosion are influenced by movement organizations’ resources, their embeddedness in state structures, and other factors. The paper offers a typology of disability movement organizations in CEE and points at potential risks for re-democratization efforts.
... The model views disability in terms of a deficit/problem that has to be fixed placing the individual in the "sick role" (Parsons, 1975). Oliver (1990) argues that the medicalization of disability is inappropriate because it locates the problem in the wrong place; within the individual rather than in society resulting to "the personal tragedy theory of disability" which suggests that "impairments are chance events happening to unfortunate individuals" (p.14). The medical model often stands in contrast to the social model that views disability as a social construct. ...
... Further developed, by its most famous proponent Mike Oliver (1990), the social model implies that it is not individual limitation the cause of the problem but society's failure to provide appropriate services and ensure that the needs of disabled people are fully taken into account. In addition, one of the strengths of the aforementioned model is the fact that it promotes the emancipation of disabled people by emphasizing that disability "is no longer considered simply a medical problem effecting only a minority of the population but is increasingly perceived as one of the major socio/political phenomena of our time with implications for society as a whole" (Barnes and Oliver, 1993, p. 17). ...
... The model views disability in terms of a deficit/problem that has to be fixed placing the individual in the "sick role" (Parsons, 1975). Oliver (1990) argues that the medicalization of disability is inappropriate because it locates the problem in the wrong place; within the individual rather than in society resulting to "the personal tragedy theory of disability" which suggests that "impairments are chance events happening to unfortunate individuals" (p.14). The medical model often stands in contrast to the social model that views disability as a social construct. ...
... Further developed, by its most famous proponent Mike Oliver (1990), the social model implies that it is not individual limitation the cause of the problem but society's failure to provide appropriate services and ensure that the needs of disabled people are fully taken into account. In addition, one of the strengths of the aforementioned model is the fact that it promotes the emancipation of disabled people by emphasizing that disability "is no longer considered simply a medical problem effecting only a minority of the population but is increasingly perceived as one of the major socio/political phenomena of our time with implications for society as a whole" (Barnes and Oliver, 1993, p. 17). ...
... The model views disability in terms of a deficit/problem that has to be fixed placing the individual in the "sick role" (Parsons, 1975). Oliver (1990) argues that the medicalization of disability is inappropriate because it locates the problem in the wrong place; within the individual rather than in society resulting to "the personal tragedy theory of disability" which suggests that "impairments are chance events happening to unfortunate individuals" (p.14). The medical model often stands in contrast to the social model that views disability as a social construct. ...
... Further developed, by its most famous proponent Mike Oliver (1990), the social model implies that it is not individual limitation the cause of the problem but society's failure to provide appropriate services and ensure that the needs of disabled people are fully taken into account. In addition, one of the strengths of the aforementioned model is the fact that it promotes the emancipation of disabled people by emphasizing that disability "is no longer considered simply a medical problem effecting only a minority of the population but is increasingly perceived as one of the major socio/political phenomena of our time with implications for society as a whole" (Barnes and Oliver, 1993, p. 17). ...
... Historically, disability has been framed as a personal tragedy, moral failing, or sign of spiritual disharmony, justifying stigmatization and social exclusion [26]. The medical model, which dominated the 19th and 20th centuries, reinforced this de cit-based view by framing disability as problematic, requiring treatment or cure and thereby further marginalizing PLWDs [26,27]. Over time, the social model of disability emerged, reframing disability as the result of societal and environmental barriers, such as inaccessible infrastructure and discriminatory practices, rather than individual impairments [27,28]. ...
... The medical model, which dominated the 19th and 20th centuries, reinforced this de cit-based view by framing disability as problematic, requiring treatment or cure and thereby further marginalizing PLWDs [26,27]. Over time, the social model of disability emerged, reframing disability as the result of societal and environmental barriers, such as inaccessible infrastructure and discriminatory practices, rather than individual impairments [27,28]. This reframing positions disability as arising from the failure of societies to accommodate diverse needs, rather than from inherent limitations within individuals. ...
Background Stigma by association refers to the process by which individuals connected to someone with a stigmatized condition, such as caregivers of children living with disabilities (CLWDs), are themselves marginalized or discredited. In Sierra Leone, cultural beliefs frame certain disabilities, especially congenital or early-onset conditions, as curses or moral failings, leading to blame and a dual burden of social exclusion. This study explores how caregivers experience and respond to this dual form of stigma by association and the social support they encounter or desire. Method We conducted six focus group discussions with 37 caregivers of CLWDs in Freetown, Sierra Leone, recruited through hospitals and an NGO providing therapeutic services. Discussions were guided by a semi-structured interview protocol and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Caregivers reported experiencing stigma by association through labeling, avoidance, societal blame, and coercion into traditional practices. Stigma was deeply rooted in cultural narratives that attribute disability to supernatural causes, often extending blame to caregivers. Participants employed three overarching strategies to navigate stigma: withdrawing, coping (e.g., spiritual reframing, focusing on positive interactions), and resisting (e.g., challenging superstitious beliefs, advocating for inclusion). Despite some positive experiences of empathy and social inclusion, caregivers expressed a strong need for more practical support, community awareness, and holistic interventions to reduce stigma and foster understanding. Discussion This study illuminates the complex interplay of cultural beliefs and social stigma shaping the experiences of caregivers of CLWDs. While caregivers demonstrated resilience and adaptive strategies, the dual stigma of association and societal blame underscores the urgent need for inclusive policies and community-based interventions. Amplifying the voices of caregivers and addressing their needs holistically are essential steps toward reducing stigma and creating supportive environments. This study contributes to the broader discourse on caregiving and stigma, offering insights for research and interventions in similar cultural contexts. Trial registration N/A
... Mientras que hay una escasez de intervenciones efectivas para reducir el estigma, no hay déficit de marcos conceptuales que intentan ofrecer en comprensión, que van desde modelos socio-cognitivos a nivel individual, hasta modelos estructurales a nivel macro. De hecho, ha habido un énfasis excesivo en las percepciones de los individuos y sus consecuencias para las interacciones a un micronivel (Oliver, 1992). ...
... Además, los estudios sobre el estigma que utilizan dicho modelo, inequívocamente individualistas, también eliminan la consideración de sus aspectos estructurales y de los procesos sociales, económicos, y políticos que crean y fortalecen al estigma y la discriminación (Link y Phelan, 2003;Oliver, 1992;Fiske, 1988). Para remediar esta deficiencia, Link y Phelan (Mahajan, Sayles, Patel, Remien, Sawires, Ortiz, Szekeres, y Coates, 2008) combinaron los aspectos sociocognitivos/estructurales del estigma, y definieron el estigma como existente cuando los elementos del etiquetado, estereotipación, separación, y discriminación ocurren juntos vis a vis el ejercicio de poder. ...
La continua escasez de intervenciones efectivas para reducir el estigma del VIH/SIDA es alarmante, dado que desde hace tiempo se ha reconocido como una barrera significativa para la prevención, tratamiento, atención y apoyo del VIH. Las intervenciones inefectivas de su reducción son producto de marcos conceptuales y herramientas metodológicas inadecuadas. Y mientras que existe una carencia de intervenciones efectivas para reducir el estigma, no hay un déficit de marcos conceptuales que intentan ofrecer una amplia comprensión del estigma, que van desde los modelos socio-cognitivos a nivel individual hasta los modelos estructurales a nivel macro. En los modelos individualista y estructural se ofrecen observaciones que resaltan las deficiencias, acá se propone la teoría de la estructuración como una posible base conceptual complementaria para el diseño de intervenciones para la reducción del estigma del VIH/SIDA
... The social model of disability, initially developed between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s, represented a seismic shift in how disability was conceptualized in the West; it posits that the oppression of disabled people is a result of the exclusions of social structures rather than the limits or failures of one's own body. By naming disablism and turning the focus away from individuals towards the social creation of disability, the social model created space for theorizing disability anew beyond individualistic and medicalized norms (which remain dominant in social work theory and practice) (Oliver 1990(Oliver , 1996. The principles of the social model are echoed in North American disability rights movements, especially in deinstitutionalization and independent living movements which gained traction in the mid-late 1980s in the USA and Canada (Fritsch 2019). ...
Despite overlaps in their theoretical roots and objects of inquiry, feminist disability studies (FDS) have yet to be meaningfully integrated into social work’s eclectic theoretical fabric. In this article, I trace the history and evolution of FDS as an academic field. In doing so, I highlight some of the ways that FDS offers rich conceptualizations of phenomena relevant to social work scholarship, including disability and debility, social justice, the marketization of care, and coalitional care politics. This discussion emphasizes the value of adopting a nuanced conceptualization of care in social work to understand the inextricable linkages between the liberation of care workers and disabled people. In the second section, I examine some current frictions between social work and FDS, and identify generative possibilities of tending to these frictions rather than avoiding them. I present a vision for an expansive future of social work scholarship that mobilizes the conceptual contributions of FDS and begins to redress the ableism endemic in social work research and theory. I focus this discussion on two opportunities: the utility of adopting a gradient understanding of disability identity in social work scholarship, and the value of a coalitional approach to analysing and conceptualizing care.
... El modelo social de la discapacidad surge como respuesta crítica, de las personas con discapacidad y sus organizaciones, al modelo médico en el mundo anglosajón. En esta visión se separan la discapacidad y los impedimentos, y se entiende la primera como las barreras construidas por la sociedad que no toma en cuenta las necesidades de las personas con impedimentos (Oliver, 1990; Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation, 1976). Una tercera visión es el modelo relacional de la discapacidad, que la considera como una interacción entre factores personales (cuerpo y/o mente) y contextuales (barreras físicas y de otro tipo) (Shakespeare, 2006;Thomas, 2004 Otro aspecto importante a considerar es el derecho a la ciudad de las personas con discapacidad. ...
“Activismo de las personas con discapacidad.
¿Por qué es fundamental?”, los autores, Juan Pino-Morán, Luis
Vera Fuente-Alba, Jaime Ramírez-Fuentes y Víctor Romero-Rojas,
revisan brevemente la historia de los movimientos sociales de
la discapacidad a nivel internacional y nacional, describiendo
el movimiento chileno y cómo se ha diversificado y politizado
en los últimos años. Destacan, a su vez, la forma en que las
organizaciones de personas con discapacidad en Chile han
disputado las definiciones y significados de la discapacidad,
planteando que esta es un asunto político de carácter público.
... Furthermore, real-time captioning in public areas could serve as an essential tool for facilitating communication in these spaces, as described in previous research (Rotoli et al., 2023). This aligns with the social model of disability, which emphasizes that barriers are not inherent to the disability itself but are created by inaccessible environments and societal attitudes (Oliver, 1990). ...
Background: A growing number of adults are aging with hearing impairments. Late-deafened individuals, who experience severe to profound hearing loss after acquiring spoken language, often face unique communication challenges in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Despite these difficulties, little is known about the specific activities and contexts where they occur.
Objectives: To identify activities that present communication challenges for late-deafened older adults and to explore the response strategies they adopt to manage these challenges.
Methods: The Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the daily challenges faced by individuals aging with long-term disabilities. Sixty participants (66.7% female; M age = 69.3, SD = 6.0) with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss for at least ten years completed questionnaires and structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.
Results: The content analysis revealed communication challenges with healthcare appointments, entertainment events, interactions with unfamiliar people, and group activities. Specific difficulties included general hearing impairments, challenging listening environments, limitations of assistive technologies, reliance on auditory stimuli, and insufficient social support. To manage these challenges, participants employed various strategies, including the use of assistive technologies, personal amplification devices, communication repair techniques, adaptive communication methods, and disclosing their hearing status.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the diverse range of communication challenges faced by late-deafened older adults. The identified strategies illustrated their resilience and adaptability but also underscored areas for improvement. Enhanced assistive technologies, better environmental accommodations, and supportive policies are essential to address these challenges effectively.
... Ένα βασικό πρόβλημα του ιατρικού μοντέλου είναι ότι παθολογεί την αναπηρία, θεωρώντας τη ως «λάθος» ή «ανωμαλία» που πρέπει να διορθωθεί. Αυτό ενισχύει τα αρνητικά στερεότυπα και παραβλέπει τον ρόλο των κοινωνικών παραμέτρων στην αναπηρία (Oliver, 1990). Το μοντέλο αυτό επικεντρώνεται στην ατομική ευθύνη και όχι στις κοινωνικές αλλαγές που θα μπορούσαν να βελτιώσουν τις συνθήκες ζωής των ατόμων με αναπηρία. ...
Οι θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις της αναπηρίας αλλάζουν / διαφοροποιούνται σχετικά με την αναγνώριση της μειονεξίας ή της κοινωνικής καταπίεσης. Η Αναπηρία είναι θέμα κοινωνικής καταπίεσης, όπως είναι ο ρατσισμός, σεξισμός κλπ. Αρχικά, αν μελετήσουμε την ιστορική εξέλιξη της Αναπηρίας θα παρατηρήσουμε την εξέλιξη διαμόρφωσής της. Η αντιμετώπιση της αναπηρίας στην κοινωνία πέρασε από πολλά στάδια. Το πρώτο στάδιο ήταν της απομόνωσης, του εκμηδενισμού και της απόρριψης. Το δεύτερο στάδιο ήταν του οίκτου, της προσωπικής τραγωδίας, της περίθαλψης και της ξεχωριστής εκπαίδευσης. Σήμερα, βρισκόμαστε στο τρίτο στάδιο, των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και ενιαίας εκπαίδευσης. Σύμφωνα με Δαμιανίδου (2015, σ.9), «το κοινωνικό μοντέλο της αναπηρίας το οποίο αποτελεί μαζί με το ιατρικό-φιλανθρωπικό μοντέλο τα δύο μοντέλα, οι κοινωνικές και οικονομικές διακρίσεις σε βάρος των ατόμων με αναπηρία δεν είναι αποτέλεσμα της συγκεκριμένης αναπηρίας, αλλά των φραγμών που η ίδια η κοινωνία θέτει στη συμμετοχή τους σε κοινωνικές και οικονομικές δραστηριότητες». Σύμφωνα με τον Παγκόσμιο Οργανισμό Υγείας (WHO,2013), η αναπηρία δεν είναι πρόβλημα υγείας, αλλά πολυσύνθετο φαινόμενο που αντανακλά τα χαρακτηριστικά του σώματος και της κοινωνίας στην οποία ζει το άτομο με αναπηρία. Η αναπηρία παρουσιάζεται στο ιατρικό μοντέλο ως βιολογική δυσλειτουργία, παθολογία και αποκλίνει από την κανονικότητα, ως επακόλουθο οι άνθρωποι με αναπηρία να θεωρούνται πως είναι αξιολύπητοι και εξαρτώμενοι από τους ειδικούς ιατρούς και φροντιστές, που τους παρέχουν ιατρική φροντίδα, ώστε να γίνουν «κανονικοί», όπως η υπόλοιπη «κανονική» κοινωνία, η οποία τους επιδεικνύει οίκτο και φιλανθρωπία (Δαμιανίδου, 2015). Σύμφωνα με Oliver & Barnes, (2010), όσοι υιοθετούν αυτό το μοντέλο, τείνουν να προστατεύουν, να φροντίζουν και να μεριμνούν για τα ανάπηρα άτομα και ψάχνουν να βρουν τρόπους να τα ελέγξουν και να επικρατήσουν, με στόχο την πρόκληση της ατομικής προσαρμογής μέσα σε συγκεκριμένα κοινωνικό-πολιτικά πλαίσια. Στην ιατρική προσέγγιση, η αναπηρία είναι αποτέλεσμα της παθολογίας και της ανεπάρκειας (Κουτάντος, 2000). Σε αντίθεση με το κοινωνικό μοντέλο της αναπηρίας, όπου διακρίνεται η έννοια της αναπηρίας από την βλάβη με τους κοινωνικούς φραγμούς, και στο επίκεντρό του βρίσκεται ο όρος του κοινωνικού αποκλεισμού. «Ο τρόπος με τον οποίο δομείται η κοινωνία από την πλειοψηφία των μη ανάπηρων μελών της καταλήγει στην καταπίεση και κατ’ επέκταση στην παθητικοποίηση και περιθωριοποίηση των ανάπηρων ατόμων, μέσα από φυσικούς, κοινωνικούς, πολιτικούς, πολιτιστικούς και οικονομικούς φραγμούς»
... While participation in sport has been found to enhance the well-being of people with PsI (Carless & Douglas, 2008;Soundy et al., 2015), the degree of competitiveness (that is level of elitism and pressure to perform) must be considered as athletes with PsI can experience stress and worsened symptoms triggered by such pressure (Glowacki et al., 2019;Yarita, 2016). This means that if we stand on the position of the social model of disability (Oliver, 1990), or indeed the social relational model with regard to psychoemotional disablism caused by disabling narratives forced on PsI (Reeve, 2015), then the valuing of "hard work" to achieve greatness derived from supercrip representation can be detrimental. Indeed, Hiroshi advised "I can only say, 'well, let's work reasonably hard,' without motivating us too much." ...
This study explored how athletes with psychiatric impairment in Japan perceived the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Data from 15 interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis; consequently, three themes were generated: (1) The Paralympics: “A Story of Another World”—the participants viewed the Paralympics only as a movement and not directly related to them; (2) “Do I Really Have to Work That Hard?”—“supercrip” representations through the Paralympics led to the disempowerment and disablement of people with psychiatric impairment, exacerbating their symptoms; (3) “A Futsal That Really Isn't Very Good”—the privileged status of the Paralympics presents only a facet of disability sport, which has resulted in other sports for people with psychiatric impairment, such as football, not being properly valued. This study adds to the literature regarding the legacy of the Paralympics and emphasizes moving beyond using the Paralympics as a vehicle for a more inclusive world.
... O modelo médico, que sustentava e legitimava as formas como se lidava com as pessoas com deficiência, foi contestado por um modelo social de deficiência (Oliver, 1990) que no contemporâneo se assume extremamente restrito e capacitista, discriminando quem não é capaz ou capacitado. Daqui decorre o capacitismo (ableísmo) como um tipo de discriminação que privilegia as pessoas percecionadas como capazes, inferiorizando e negando o valor do corpo das pessoas com deficiência por não corresponderem ao corpo ideal e perfecionista. ...
O objetivo do presente capítulo é conhecer o percurso das mulheres com deficiência na sociedade e no desporto identificando fatores que influenciam a sua representatividade e se constituem como oportunidades/barreiras ao longo do percurso desportivo. É dado especial enfoque às mulheres atletas no Movimento Paralímpico como expressão máxima da performance desportiva e do reconhecimento social. Este capítulo focará apenas a participação das mulheres com deficiência nos Jogos Paralímpicos de verão. Ao longo do capítulo as autoras privilegiam a perspetiva do desporto como veículo de capacitação e afirmação dos direitos das mulheres com deficiência.
O livro está disponível, gratuitamente, em formato digital em:
https://www.dykinson.com/libros/mujeres-en-las-ciencias-del-deporte/9788410709645/
... O modelo médico, que sustentava e legitimava as formas como se lidava com as pessoas com deficiência, foi contestado por um modelo social de deficiência (Oliver, 1990) que no contemporâneo se assume extremamente restrito e capacitista, discriminando quem não é capaz ou capacitado. Daqui decorre o capacitismo (ableísmo) como um tipo de discriminação que privilegia as pessoas percecionadas como capazes, inferiorizando e negando o valor do corpo das pessoas com deficiência por não corresponderem ao corpo ideal e perfecionista. ...
Este libro aborda la relación de las mujeres con el deporte y la educación física, destacando cómo, a pesar de los avances logrados en las últimas décadas, la igualdad real sigue siendo un desafío. Históricamente, las mujeres han enfrentado barreras estructurales que limitan su participación en todas las áreas deportivas, desde la práctica de ejercicio físico hasta el desarrollo profesional y la visibilidad mediática, lo que tiene repercusiones en la salud de las mujeres, sus oportunidades académicas y laborales y sus derechos educativos.
La obra, dividida en cuatro bloques, comienza con un análisis sobre la representación de las mujeres en los estudios y profesiones deportivas. Este bloque rescata figuras históricas femeninas invisibilizadas, revisa la representación de mujeres deportistas en materiales educativos y propone incorporar la perspectiva de género en estudios de Ciencias del Deporte. El segundo bloque examina la representación femenina en el ámbito deportivo, abordando el abandono del deporte en la adolescencia, el tratamiento sexista en los medios y los retos enfrentados por mujeres con discapacidad. También se exploran factores como la movilidad urbana desde una perspectiva de género.
El tercer bloque se centra en la salud de las mujeres, enfatizando la importancia del ejercicio físico en etapas clave como la menopausia, el embarazo y el posparto. También analiza las barreras al entrenamiento de fuerza y su promoción bajo una perspectiva feminista. El cuarto y último bloque aborda la violencia que sufren las mujeres y la infancia en contextos deportivos y educativos, destacando la necesidad de visibilizar estas problemáticas y proponer soluciones desde la formación y la sensibilización.
Enmarcado en el contexto del I Congreso Internacional de Mujeres en las Ciencias del Deporte celebrado en Valencia en octubre de 2023, este libro reflexiona sobre los logros alcanzados y los nuevos desafíos que enfrentan las mujeres del siglo XXI en el ámbito deportivo a través de la mirada de 24 autoras vinculadas a las profesiones del deporte que buscan construir un futuro donde el respeto por los derechos de las mujeres y las niñas sea una realidad.
... In contrast, the social model separates disability from the person, recognizing that the true disability lies externally within society and its structures. This perspective empowers individuals to advocate for inclusivity and equal opportunities in the face of discrimination (Oliver, 1990(Oliver, , 1996(Oliver, , 2013. Research has demonstrated a strong endorsement of the social model, coupled with a rejection of the medical model, correlates with more positive attitudes toward PWDs (Bogart et al., 2019). ...
People with disabilities (PWDs) experience public stigma, which can be internalized as self-stigma. While some individuals succumb to this internalization, others exhibit greater resistance. This study seeks to understand the factors contributing to these differing responses. We hypothesized that PWDs may develop a greater sense of belonging to their disability community as a response to facing public stigma, which can lead to feelings of pride in their disability. This pride can mitigate the internalization of public stigma into self-stigma and further alleviate associated negative psychosocial outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional survey for PWDs (n = 220), assessing their enacted stigma (i.e., exposure to public stigma), self-stigma, belongingness in the disability community, and disability pride, alongside psychosocial outcomes like self-esteem and depression and anxiety symptoms. Through a series of structural equation modeling analyses, we built increasingly complex models. Model 1 demonstrated that a sense of belonging mediates the relationship between enacted stigma and disability pride. Model 2 introduced a serial mediation, with both belonging and disability pride mediating the link between enacted stigma and self-stigma. Models 3 and 4 further showed that disability pride is linked to increased self-esteem and reduced depression, thus buffering the effects of self-stigma. Our results indicate that cultivating a sense of belonging and disability pride plays a significant role in reducing self-stigma and its adverse effects. These findings also suggest potential strategies for researchers, professionals, and policymakers to support engagement in one’s community and develop pride as mechanisms to enhance the psychosocial well-being of individuals with disabilities.
... Using the social model of disability (Oliver, 1990), which suggests that it is the structures and systems of society itself that disable people, children with SEND may be educated within a mainstream system that is systemically unable to fully include them. Begum (2022: 37) states that: "There is some degree of systemic tension between government legislation to educate SEND learners in mainstream schools without addressing the exclusionary nature of a disabling society". ...
This is a small-scale evaluative case study developed to evaluate the Minotaur theatre pedagogical programme. Big Brum Theatre in Education Company created and implemented the programme for students at KS 2 in the Birmingham area, UK. The evaluation focuses on how the theatre pedagogical programme relates to the school curriculum, which pedagogical model is applied to, and how this is communicated to teachers and students. The research includes observation and recording of the programme's implementation in two groups of the first grades of primary school in Birmingham, interviews with programme producers and evaluations carried out by teacher focus groups. The pedagogical model of Big Brum, as described in the company's official documents and team interviews, was investigated. The model is theoretically placed in Dorothy Heathcote's crucible paradigm, where educators and students investigate areas of knowledge and concerns on an equal footing, as well as in the critical pedagogy movement. The research then evaluates the program's results by analysing the data collected in relation to the company's theoretical claims. The company primarily offers a demanding working model for approaching curriculum and pedagogical practice and builds on and develops the paradigm of the "crucible" and critical pedagogy. However, some crucial problems have been identified regarding how Big Brum's objectives and method are communicated to teachers, which leaves gaps in the appropriate use of the program in the classroom after its implementation.
... For example, a person with a physical impairment may be considered disabled if they live in a society that is not accessible to wheelchair users. However, if they lived in a society that was fully accessible, they would not be considered disabled (Barnes and Mercer, 1996;Humpage, 2007;Oliver, 1990;Shakespeare, 2013;Thomas, 2007). ...
This study aims to identify gaps in Indonesia's national social health insurance scheme (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional or JKN) in meeting the right to health for disabled persons in the country and to propose strategies to mitigate the gaps. This study employed descriptive qualitative methodologies. A questionnaire survey and structured interviews were undertaken from the period of October to December 2021, with a purposive sample of 317 disabled persons at their working age. Data collection also included on-site observations to sample of healthcare providers in six provinces and focused group discussions with key stakeholders. This study found that JKN is the primary source of hope for disabled persons. Nevertheless, approximately ten percent of disabled persons have been omitted from the scheme. Moreover, respondents of the survey expressed notably lower satisfaction level compared to the national average. Meanwhile, 25% of them also reported that JKN did not cover certain disability-specific benefits. The findings suggest that the national social health insurance scheme is not well prepared to offer disability-inclusive services. Thereby, policymakers should implement various interventions to improve the admission processes for disabled persons and to develop a system to identify disabled members based on their specific disabilities. Additionally, stipulating standards for disability-friendly minimum services for healthcare providers and incorporating the standards into the credentialing systems, providing regular training on disability-friendly services for healthcare personnel, also enhancing benefits coverage for disabled members in the Indonesian Case Base Groups (INA-CBGs) are the necessary strategies to mitigate the gaps.
... Nas últimas décadas, o movimento das pessoas com deficiência, juntamente com diversos pesquisadores das ciências sociais e da saúde (Barnes, 1991), identifica o papel das barreiras físicas e sociais para a deficiência. A transição de uma perspectiva individual e médica para uma perspectiva estrutural e social foi descrita como a mudança de um "modelo médico" para um "modelo social" (Oliver, 1990). ...
This study aims to systematize national and international scientific production on accessible tourism for people with disabilities. The methodology, of a qualitative nature, was designed by means of a Bibliometric Study (BS) -consisting of Lotka's, Bradford's and Zipf's Laws -and an Integrative Litera-ture Review (ILR). Publications up to December 31, 2020 were analyzed, obtaining 162 articles as the corpus of analysis. The theoretical framework includes people with disabilities in the context of accessible tourism. The results demonstrate that academic interest in the subject is recent and not very diverse, but growing. The BS revealed that accessible tourism for people with disabilities is an area of knowledge that is still in the early stages of growth, as production is scattered across many journals, with several authors responsible for few articles. With ILR, it was identified that studies are moving from a perspective of recovery, cure and rehabilitation to one of inclusion, adaptation and participation, overcoming the medical model for the social model of disability. However, the studies are homogeneous and do not represent the heterogeneity of this social group. It also provides a broad and detailed research agenda that will serve as a basis for new empirical studies on the subject. //// Este estudo objetiva sistematizar a produção científica nacional e internacional sobre turismo acessível a pessoas com deficiência. A metodologia, de cunho qualitativo, foi delineada por meio de Estudo Bibliométrico (EB) – composto pelas Leis de Lotka, de Bradford e de Zipf – e de Revisão Integrativa da Literatura (RIL). Analisaram-se publicações até 31 de dezembro de 2020, obtendo 162 artigos como corpus de análise. O embasamento teórico contempla as pessoas com deficiência no contexto do turismo acessível. Os resultados demonstram que o interesse acadêmico pelo tema é recente e pouco diversificado, porém, crescente. O EB revelou que o turismo acessível a pessoas com deficiência é uma área de conhecimento ainda em fase inicial de crescimento, pois a produção se encontra pulverizada em muitos periódicos, com diversos autores responsáveis por poucos artigos. Com a RIL, foi identificado que os estudos passam de uma perspectiva de recuperação, cura e reabilitação para uma perspectiva de inclusão, adaptação e participação, superando o modelo médico pelo modelo social da deficiência. Todavia, os estudos são homogêneos, não representando a heterogeneidade desse grupo social. Ademais, contribui com uma ampla e detalhada agenda de pesquisa que servirá para pesquisadores alicerçarem novos e empíricos estudos sobre o tema.
... The CRPD epitomises the culmination of a long process of the emergence of disability rights (Stein, 2007), which occurred at the global level ( Degener & Begg, 2017), as well in regional and national systems. As cursorily highlighted in the introduction to this book, such a process of development has been influenced by the wide academic debate on the social model of disability (Oliver, 1983(Oliver, , 1990(Oliver, , 1996(Oliver, , 2013Dewsbury et al., 2004;Riddle, 2020;Shakespeare, 2013), which is rooted in the UK disability movement. In fact, the social model originated in the mid-1970s, being embedded in the manifesto of the British Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS), which put forward the idea that society disables people with impairments and distinguished the 'impairment' itself from the 'situation' of people with impairments, which entails a 'disability' (Finkelstein, 1980). ...
... First, scholars often misunderstand the experiences of people with stigmatized identities because they are cultural outsiders (i.e., not part of the stigmatized group) and are often naive about their lived experiences [62]. Second, scholarly work on stigma deliberately narrows down its focus on individual perception and the outcomes of such perceptions [63]. ...
Insufficient attention has been given to the social aspects of HIV and mental health in the Philippines despite their profound impact on Filipinos, particularly gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men. Past evidence shows that these health conditions are intertwined, amplified by the combined impact of power and oppression. Yet, scholarly works, programs, and interventions focusing on understanding the social, structural, and political aspects of HIV and mental health are still in the early stages in the Philippines, calling for urgency in tackling the ongoing epidemics these men face. Therefore, we have developed this essay with the following objectives: 1) to provide context for the overlapping of the two health epidemics faced by Filipino gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men; 2) to illustrate how critical perspectives such as syndemics and intersectionality can deepen our understanding of these conditions; 3) to showcase strategies for integrating syndemics and intersectionality into research and practice. Our aim is to foster the discussion on the use of critical perspectives in addressing health conditions in the Philippines and to advocate for comprehensive, inclusive, and culturally informed research, programs, and interventions for these men in the broader Filipino community.
... The Medical Model. The medical model asserts that disability arises from an individual's "defective" physical condition, viewing physical damage through a medical lens (Oliver, 1990). The Social Model. ...
This article examines how the Republic of Cyprus’s welfare state supports and includes people with disabilities through the services provided by the Department for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (DSID). The aim is to analyze the DSID as a case study to determine whether it has fulfilled its mission to ensure the rights of people with disabilities through its services. A quantitative research methodology was employed, primarily using a closed-ended questionnaire distributed to service users via related organizations. The survey results were processed, analyzed, and compared with the DSID’s Annual Reports. The study identifies problems within the DSID and provides solutions for these issues.
... Es importante mencionar que, con la irrupción del modelo social en la discapacidad, la sociología se apropia del tema y propone que es una construcción social antes que una realidad estrictamente biológica (Abberley, 1987;Oliver, 1990). En este sentido, la discapacidad sería consecuencia de la interacción entre un individuo y su entorno, es decir, se destaca su carácter "relacional"; o, dicho de otra manera, se produce cuando los individuos interactúan socialmente y son conscientes de los obstáculos y barreras que son efectos de las propias creaciones y disposiciones sociales. ...
La Ley N.º 5.136 de Educación Inclusiva, fue promulgada en el año 2013. A 11 años de su implementación, presenta desafíos para que las escuelas sean realmente espacios que respondan a las necesidades de las personas con discapacidad. El objetivo de este estudio es recoger y analizar la experiencia de maestras de apoyo a la inclusión de las niñas, niños y adolescentes, conocer las causas de su agremiación y su rol en las escuelas. El enfoque que adoptó este estudio fue cualitativo, con un corte hermenéutico, y alcance exploratorio. La muestra consiste en dos maestras de apoyo a la inclusión. Los datos se recolectaron a través de una entrevista a profundidad con un cuestionario semi-estructurada a las representantes de la organización APUAI (Asociación de profesionales y universitarios de apoyo a la inclusión). Los resultados indican que en APUAI se erigen sobre un compromiso con la transformación del sistema educativo para lograr una sociedad más inclusiva, los maestros entrevistados son actores sociales que buscan generar incidencia en el Estado para el reconocimiento de su trabajo y una regulación salarial, dado que, a falta de reglamentaciones, su tarea pasa a ser una cuestión privada, condicionando a la capacidad económica de la familia el acceso a la educación de estudiantes con discapacidad. A su vez, cumplen un papel pedagógico sin contar con habilitación pedagógica, ya que en su mayoría son profesionales de carreras terapéuticas y estudiantes de diversas carreras. Se concluye que el objetivo gremial es lograr incidir en la intervención de los huecos de la Ley para la construcción de un entorno educativo y social más equitativo y accesible para todos, y la necesidad de una formación profesional para los maestros de apoyo a la inclusión. Futuras investigaciones son necesarias para seguir explorando esta situación de las personas que cumplen el rol de maestra de apoyo a la inclusión en Paraguay con una muestra más amplia, incluyendo más instituciones educativas como las públicas y privadas.
... The Social Model of Disability is a critical framework for understanding the experiences of individuals with disabilities, including blind students. This model posits that disability arises from societal barriers and attitudes rather than inherent impairments (Oliver, 2013). According to this perspective, the challenges faced by blind individuals in accessing financial management education are primarily rooted in the inadequacies of educational systems and societal structures. ...
This review article explores the theoretical frameworks that underpin the development of financial management skills among special needs blind students. By examining various theoretical perspectives, including the Social Model of Disability, Human Capital Theory, and the Lifelong Learning Approach, this paper aims to highlight the importance of these frameworks in designing effective financial education programs. The article also discusses the implications of these theories for practice and policy, emphasizing the need for inclusive educational strategies that empower visually impaired individuals. Through this analysis, we aim to contribute to the understanding of financial management education within the context of special needs, ultimately fostering greater independence and economic empowerment for blind students.
... Osoby niepełnosprawne przestają być traktowane jak ofiary czy obiekty pomocy, a stają się podmiotami, działającymi aktorami. Niepełnosprawność zaczynają definiować takie kategorie, jak dyskryminacja oraz opresja i stygmatyzacja (Oliver 1990;Barnes, Mercer 2008). Konsekwencje przyjęcia społecznego modelu niepełnosprawności widoczne są również w pracach naukowych i badawczych realizowanych na styku akademii i aktywizmu. ...
The article presents experiences from the “Copernicus Multisenses” project implemented by the Copernicus Science Center in 2023. Its goal was to increase accessibility for people with visual and hearing impairments. The article focuses on the research and participatory aspects of the project, paying attention to the challenges related to the stereotypical perception of disability in the context of cultural institutions. The article also analyzes the categories of scientific and cultural capital that influence the participation of people with disabilities in cultural institutions. The study accompanying the project was concerned with improving the accessibility of space and exhibits at the Copernicus Science Center for people with visual and hearing impairments, while including the active participation of these people in identifying accessibility barriers. The conducted study was based on the disability studies framework. The article poses a question of what the true accessibility is in a science center.
... Disability so far has been regarded as an impairment that needs to be treated or at least rehabilitated. The causes of social exclusion were attributed to a lack of physical, sensory, cognitive or mental functioning and hindered the social inclusion of persons with disabilities (Oliver, 1990). In contrast to this, the social model of disability considers disability as the result of the interaction between people living with impairments and an environment filled with physical, attitudinal, communication and social barriers (Watson, 2004). ...
This discussion paper presents an overview of key challenges and trends in the UNECE region in four policy areas relevant to the Social Protection and Inclusion Research team at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research: 1) Social assistance and minimum income policies, 2) Child and family policies, 3) Disability policies and social support services, and 4) Housing policies. The discussion paper identifies research needs and future perspectives on policy directions to ensure social inclusion for all through resilient social protection systems amid ongoing crises framed by megatrends. Synergies between different policy areas, such as between the economy, social affairs, employment, education and health policies, as well as between distinct levels of governance and types of support (monetary and non-monetary), are key. Strong partnerships among stakeholders to implement tailor-made and human rights-based solutions are needed to improve policy outcomes and decrease inequalities.
... La educación inclusiva opera sobre varios principios subyacentes. Uno es el modelo social de la discapacidad: esta perspectiva sostiene que los obstáculos a la educación no surgen de limitaciones inherentes a los estudiantes, sino más bien de las barreras estructurales y actitudinales dentro del entorno educativo (Oliver, 1990). Igualmente, importante es la teoría del aprendizaje social de Bandura (1977), que subraya que el aprendizaje no ocurre de forma aislada sino a través de la participación con otros en un contexto social. ...
Resumen: Introducción: La competencia lingüística inclusiva es un recurso crucial en la educación contemporánea, especialmente en el aprendizaje personalizado, facilitando un entorno de confianza y promoviendo la diversidad. Metodología: Se empleó una metodología cuantitativa basada en un cuestionario de autopercepción con escalas Likert, administrado en línea a estudiantes de segundo curso de diversos grados de Educación durante el curso académico 2023-2024. Resultados: los datos mostraron una clara satisfacción entre los estudiantes respecto al desarrollo de la inclusión a través de la comprensión lectora, con una evaluación promedio de 4,27 (SD = 1,21). Estos resultados indican un desarrollo positivo de la competencia lingüística inclusiva en las aulas universitarias. Discusión: el enfoque del Aprendizaje Basado en el Pensamiento (TBL) y los retos didácticos fomentan la cooperación y la resolución de problemas, desarrollando habilidades cognitivas, sociales e inclusivas. La aplicación de esta metodología ha mejorado la comprensión lectora y el entorno inclusivo, destacando la necesidad de formación continua para estudiantes y profesores. Conclusión: la inclusión en el aula, facilitada por el TBL, mejora la calidad del aprendizaje y aumenta la motivación estudiantil, impactando positivamente en su desarrollo académico y socioemocional. Este estudio subraya la importancia de integrar estrategias inclusivas para una educación de calidad.
... Las personas con discapacidad han sido históricamente, desde la modernidad ilustrada, rotuladas a través de definiciones y etiquetas que las indican como depositarias de una deficiencia, a partir de la cual se desprenden una serie de prácticas, discursos, imaginarios y representaciones que se ciernen sobre ellos, y que en cierta medida, vienen sino a determinar, al menos a influir en sus posibilidades de construirse como individuos y partícipes activos de la vida social (Oliver, 1990;Sawchuk, 2014;Solsona, 2023b). Vale destacar, que en uno de los territorios que hace parte de este trabajo, San Juan de la Costa, todas las personas participantes se identifican como Mapuches-Williches, lo que supone que podrían existir otras formas de definir y representar lo que se denomina discapacidad como categoría propia de la modernidad ilustrada occidental. ...
El siguiente artículo tiene por objetivo final presentar una propuesta operacional del término capital territorial. Si bien, otros trabajos ya han utilizado esta locución, en esta oportunidad complejizamos su conceptualización a través de la identificación de cuatro componentes que lo constituirían; proximidad, cognición, elementos topofílicos y localización. Se utiliza un referente empírico para argumentar estas categorías, particularmente las experiencias de apropiación territorial de personas con discapacidad en localidades rurales del Sur de Chile, las cuales son descritas y analizadas a través de un enfoque cualitativo que combinó entrevistas y observación etnográfica.
... This declaration catalysed collective action, forming a movement which influenced research. The 'social model of disability', developed by Oliver (1990), challenged the idea that a person's disability is a flaw, arguing that a person with a disability is disabled by the way they are perceived by society. Inclusive research developed from this movement; this methodology is rooted in the social model of disability. ...
The Banbury My Life My Choice Self-Advocacy Group, Jessica Carr and three supervisors worked together to research how people with learning disabilities do citizen science. As a research group, we made our own citizen science project exploring an issue of relevance and interest to us. Using creative research methods, we learnt about research skills together and found out what research we would like to do. We then used these skills to make our own citizen science project, and we worked together to create a project of relevance to our community. This article looks at how we worked together to do our research, explores some of the challenges we faced and shows how we solved them. Our aim is to share what we have learnt to provide researchers with examples of how to work with and support people with learning disabilities to do citizen science.
... Feedback from PwD highlights employer attitudes and workplace discrimination as primary barriers to employment (Kaye et al., 2011). Vocational rehabilitation experts identify these negative perceptions as significant obstacles to successful employment for PwD, leading to the Social Model of Disability (Oliver, 1990). This model views disability as a socially created problem, emphasizing societal barriers and negative attitudes rather than the individual's disability itself. ...
Purpose
To examine the gap between employers’ espoused theories and theories-in-use regarding PwD inclusion in the Saudi Arabian workforce and identify factors that can bridge this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative grounded theory approach was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 24 employers in various industries in Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using open coding, followed by the identification of second-order themes and aggregate dimensions.
Findings
The research reveals a significant gap between employers’ espoused beliefs, such as the value of diversity and social responsibility, and their theories-in-use, which reflect concerns about costs, accessibility and the competence of PwD. The study also highlights transformative incidents – education, leadership, cultural shifts, breaking of misconceptions and exposure to PwD – that can bridge this gap.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that merely creating policies is insufficient for meaningful change. Organizations and policymakers should adopt double-loop learning to challenge underlying assumptions and integrate practical, culturally informed strategies to support PwD inclusion in the workplace.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the limited research on employer attitudes toward PwD in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle Eastern context. It offers actionable insights through transformative incidents that help organizations align their stated values with actual practices, promoting a more inclusive and innovative work environment.
This article attempts to provide a definition of “mental infrastructure” that would be compatible with some of the lessons drawn from disability studies as they have flourished over the past decades. It does so by taking as a test case the “attentional crisis” much discussed in recent years. We start by surveying canonical definitions of infrastructural power, showing how most of them already take into account a complex entanglement between material, institutional and imaginary realities. A second section considers more specifically the mental aspect of infrastructural assemblages, while a third one revisits them under the minoritarian light shed by disability studies. “Repairing” our mental infrastructures, as observed in the field of attention studies, does not merely aim at “recovering” a mental ability for idealized concentration: it rather calls for communicational infrastructures capable of putting multiple (minoritarian and majoritarian) perspectives “on par with” each other. A final section identifies six moves which can help construct the multi-perspectivist mental infrastructures we desperately need in order to remantle our cognitively dissonant worldviews and to negotiate a just cohabitation on planet Earth in the Anthropocene.
The general purpose of this study is to examine the theses dealing with the subject of mobbing in educational institutions in line with various variables, to determine their distribution according to years, types, universities, fields of study, sub-subjects, school levels, and to reveal the findings and suggestions of these theses about the effects of mobbing in the context of social work. In the study, the case study model, which is one of the qualitative research models, was used. The universe of the study consists of theses carried out in the field of mobbing in educational institutions, the full text of which can be accessed in the YÖK Thesis database. For this reason, sampling was not carried out and all relevant theses were included in the analysis. In this context, a total of 53 theses were included in the research. Descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques were used in the data analysis process, and firstly, the frequency analysis technique, which focuses on counting the frequencies of message elements, was used. According to the data, most of the studies conducted between 2005-2020 consisted of master's theses, and the most research was carried out at Gazi University. Studies generally focus on mobbing to which teachers are exposed, and the effects of mobbing are examined from psychological, organizational, social, and leadership perspectives. In particular, issues such as teachers' mobbing experiences, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, psychological health and motivation come to the fore. Measures against mobbing include strengthening school policies, leadership training, psychosocial support systems, and awareness programs.
Epistemic injustice is inherently connected to epistemic power and epistemic agency: understanding and addressing the former allows us to better understand and address the latter, and vice versa. Yet, despite vast and rich discussions of epistemic injustice, which often invoke the notions of epistemic power and epistemic agency, both notions remain undertheorized and hence largely elusive. This book offers a systematic account of epistemic power and agency by turning to the dynamics of epistemic injustice—that is, the many forms epistemic injustice can take, the different sites and mechanisms through which it operates, and the various transformations consequently required to cultivate greater epistemic justice. Adopting standpoint theory both as a theory and as a methodology, the book focuses on several pressing social questions, such as deliberative impasses in divided societies, colonial memory, academic migration, the underrepresentation of members of non-dominant groups in certain fields, and the marginalization of minoritized minds, such as intellectually disabled people and Autistics. By analyzing these social questions through the lens of the dynamics of epistemic injustice, the book develops a systematic account of epistemic power and agency.
Although laws have been passed to promote disability inclusion in French workplaces, many companies face challenges complying with the required quota of disabled workers. Workplace ableism hinders the implementation of disability laws. To move from apathy to increased compliance, insider activists took proactive action, uncovered ableist practices, and mobilized colleagues at different levels. In this article, I study how some disability rights activists managed to obtain positions as disability managers in their companies in the late 2000s, gaining the ability to design inclusive policies for their organizations. Using ethnographic interviews, I explore how they use their own identities to address ableism, mobilize colleagues to promote the inclusion of disabled workers, and empower disabled employees to obtain accommodation. This study sheds light on the individual, relational, and structural work necessary to move from anti-ableist laws to a concrete and recoupled implementation in the workplace. This also explains why companies offer positions to activists to develop blueprints for compliance. Activists’ work was recognized because regulations were ambiguous but created financial sanctions for non-compliance; ableist cultures created distrust among disabled workers; and organizations needed activists’ extra work to design programs, build expertise, and develop tools to promote inclusion.
The introductory chapter contextualises the need to have a focused study on Disability in Northeast India. It iterates the need to have a conceptual and theoretical approach to disability studies which will be inclusive of the Northeast region. Whereas most state policies are formed by considering the able-bodied male, this introductory chapter will show how such policies can be exclusionary so as to pose a threat to a section of people living in a conflict-ridden area. Disability Studies in India have focused mainly on mainland narratives and government policies about that. This chapter will therefore argue for the expansion of the scope of disability studies that would include experiences of the disabled people living in the peripheral region, which not only has poor infrastructure but is also the hotbed of violence. Thereafter the introductory chapter will justify the inclusion of subsequent chapters dealing with a myriad of experiences ranging from personal narrative to collective experience, the centrality of disabled bodies in the politics of the Ahom dynasty to the plight of disabled bodies owing to state violence. This chapter will therefore provide an insight into the lack that afflicts the disabled body through double marginalisation (Neglecting the Periphery and Poor Policy implementation).
Disability studies as a discourse has emerged in the last decades of the twentieth century. Though initially disability was regarded as only a medical problem located in a person's body, the proliferation of interdisciplinary approaches has shifted the paradigm to other domains of humanities. Scholars have, thus, come up with their notions of disability as a social and political phenomenon and this has resulted in a newer understanding of disability. Literary disability studies make use of the various aspects of disability to address the varied realities of the human psyche and experiences. This paper tries to foreground the experiential realities of the mothers of disabled children and how maternal subjectivities can be presented and theorized. Geetali Bora's semi-autobiographical novel Antaratam projects a mother's ordeal in facing the world with her child with cerebral palsy, where she is engaged in a meaning-making process, being entangled and disentangled with the psychological and societal pressure around her and finally realizing the essence of life. This paper tries to address issues like, how the mothers of disabled children relate their children's disability to their motherhood. How do they transcend the “guilty mother” syndrome? This paper, further, tries to explore the epiphanic moments that mothers of disabled children experience which is very crucial to their existence as these moments open up new understanding of their experiential realities. And finally how, despite going through a lot of pain and trauma, both in the home space and the public space, the mothers maintain their balance and become strong entities to face the harsh realities, provide proper care to their disabled children and move on with stoical acceptance.
Research demonstrates that disabled people, across different functional impairments, face social exclusion within the workplace. However, there remains a lack of understanding regarding the mechanisms and reasons behind these exclusionary processes. Drawing insights from the sociology of emotions and microsociology, I examine interactional attempts to include hard-of-hearing employees in conversations through the lens of sympathy. Through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in two workplaces and 29 interviews with hard-of-hearing employees from 19 different workplaces, as well as with colleagues and managers without hearing loss, I find that demonstrating sympathy carries costs such as restrained emotional buildup, emotional exhaustion and efforts to manage emotions. The analysis suggests that the lack of social inclusiveness cannot be attributed solely to stigmatisation and a lack of knowledge about disabilities among workplace colleagues. It also stems from the unwillingness of colleagues to actively engage in the interactional challenges associated with displaying sympathy due to failed interaction rituals. These results underscore the significance of companies fostering environments that facilitate strong interaction rituals for employees with diverse functional impairments and suggest structural changes at the company level to avoid reliance on individual employees to achieve workplace inclusion.
Erving Goffman’s scholarship has been subject to intense critique in disability studies. Goffman’s account of ‘stigma’, in particular, is viewed as being antithetical to its driving principles, namely: to depart from deficit configurations of disability; to define disability as embedded in rigid and oppressive social structures; and to recognise more positive accounts of disability. In this article, I discuss the value of Goffman’s work for understanding the social worlds of disabled people. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork at a community café run by learning-disabled adults and non-disabled adults, I use Goffman’s neglected concepts of ‘deference’ and ‘demeanour’ to explore how learning-disabled adults are afforded respect, or not, in this space. I sketch out how mundane encounters – taking orders, making drinks, serving customers – are carefully accomplished in ways that accord deference to café team members and reassert their humanity and value. At the same time, I capture how customers, on occasion, do not act with deference, nor display ‘good’ demeanour. In such moments, their conduct – whereby team members are ignored, disregarded or framed as charitable subjects – animates deficit scripts of disability. To conclude, I argue that Goffman’s insights provide the machinery for demonstrating how learning-disabled adults’ interactions with (non-disabled) others must be central to an analysis of their lives.
Importance: Despite the importance of diversifying the occupational therapy workforce and fostering inclusive learning environments, disabled occupational therapy students face many barriers throughout their education.
Objective: To better understand the lived experience of disabled students regarding external barriers influencing their occupational therapy education.
Design: A qualitative study with thematic analysis of focus group sessions and individual interviews. Trustworthiness was ensured through participant and researcher triangulation and practicing reflexivity.
Setting: Focus group sessions were conducted remotely.
Participants: Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants who met the following criteria: current enrollment in the university entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy program or having graduated within the past 18 mo; identification as disabled/a person with a disability, neurodivergent, d/Deaf, and/or having a chronic health condition; and having engaged in the process of exploring or obtaining accommodations through the Disability Resources for Students department.
Outcomes and Measures: A semistructured interview guide.
Results: Four focus group sessions and one interview were completed with 14 participants. Three main themes emerged that describe how faculty support, peer support, and the culture of the profession matter to disabled occupational therapy students.
Conclusions and Relevance: Themes describe the varied experiences of students, including barriers they faced and opportunities for systematic change to support them better. Implications include opportunities for faculty training, incorporating disability frameworks throughout the curriculum, and creating a culture of inclusion in occupational therapy education.
Plain-Language Summary: This study explored factors that affect disabled occupational therapy students. The results describe what helps and hinders them throughout their education. These include faculty support, peer support, and program culture. Providing faculty training, reframing disability in coursework, and creating a more inclusive culture could better support students.
Positionality Statement: Throughout this article, identity-first (e.g., disabled students) and person-first (e.g., students with disabilities) language is used interchangeably, following the guidance of disabled self-advocates who indicate a preference for flexible language styles (Dwyer, 2022). The research team presented different identities, including one team member who identified as having a chronic health condition. At the time of the study, all team members were interacting or had interacted with all or some participants in their teaching roles (i.e., as faculty member or teaching assistant). The faculty members have actively integrated disability studies and anti-ableist perspectives in their teaching.
Objective: To explore subjective accounts of the consequences of stroke.
Design: Qualitative methods using depth interviews.
Participants and setting: Forty people sampled ten months post stroke from a hospital stroke register which was established in two adjacent health districts in North Thames Regional Health Authority.
Results: Interviewees reported a number of ways in which the stroke had affected their daily lives, including difficulty with leaving the house, doing the housework, pursuing former leisure activities, inability to walk in the way they wanted, problems with communicating, washing, bathing and dressing, and with confusion and deteriorating memory. In all these areas people described the loss of social contact that accompanied these changes, and the loss of valued roles which had been embedded in the everyday functions they had previously performed. In general, people over the age of 70 were more seriously affected.
Conclusion: The type of changes which people reported would not easily have been captured using standardized outcome measures, pointing to the value of qualitative methods in providing subjective accounts. In terms of clinical practice, there is a need to reduce people's isolation after stroke by providing home visits after discharge, particularly to those living alone, and also by reducing disability through rehabilitation and by tackling the environmental obstacles which can imprison people in their homes. The findings suggest that many people with stroke would benefit from being able to talk about the changes which have occurred. Imaginative proposals are needed to develop ways to help replace the loss of activities, social contacts and social roles, particularly among older people with stroke.
Ovaj rad predstavlja pregled teorijskih stanovišta i istraživanja o socijalnom kapitalu osoba sa invaliditetom. Ciljevi ovog rada usmjereni su na istraživanje značaja socijalnog kapitala u svakodnevnom životu osoba s invaliditetom, s naglaskom na njegove efekte na pristup resursima i socijalnu inkluziju. Analizom se nastoji dublje razumjeti način na koji socijalni kapital oblikuje mogućnosti i iskustva ove populacije, to jest kako različiti oblici socijalnog kapitala utiču na kvalitet života i socijalnu participaciju osoba sa invaliditetom. Dodatni cilj rada jeste ispitivanje metoda za mjerenje socijalnog kapitala kod osoba s invaliditetom, pri čemu se poseban akcenat stavlja na metodu generatora pozicija. Socijalni kapital, shvaćen kao resursi dostupni pojedincima kroz njihove socijalne mreže, koji se može mobilisati u svrsishodnim akcijama, ima značajnu ulogu u različitim aspektima života osoba sa invaliditetom, uključujući obrazovanje, zapošljavanje, zdravstvenu zaštitu i socijalnu integraciju. U radu će se napraviti poseban osvrt na metodu „generatora pozicija“, kao ključnog alata za mjerenje socijalnog kapitala različitih grupa, tako što ispituje pristup ispitanika određenim pozicijama u društvenoj strukturi. Metoda se fokusira na tri glavne dimenzije socijalnog kapitala, a to su opseg, snaga i pristup, među kojima posebnu pažnju posvećujemo prvoj, u kontekstu naše ciljne grupe. Opseg se odnosi na raznovrsnost resursa kojima osoba ima pristup kroz svoje društvene mreže, a jedna od glavnih pretpostavki u radu je da upravo sistemske i infrastrukturne prepreke doprinose da ovi resursi budu oskudni za lica sa invaliditetom. U tom kontekstu, rad identifikuje specifične izazove koje ove osobe susreću u izgradnji i korištenju socijalnog kapitala, svom pozicioniranju u socijalnim mrežama, kao i faktore koji mogu olakšati ili otežati ovaj proces. Među njima, uvrstili smo kulturu neformalnosti kao posebnost prostora Zapadnog Balkana, čija dvojaka uloga ne bi trebala biti zanemarena u analizi socijalnih mreža. Na kraju, autor predlaže smjernice za buduća istraživanja koja bi mogla doprinijeti dubljem razumijevanju i unapređenju socijalnog kapitala među osobama sa invaliditetom.
La transformación de las ciudades en lugares accesibles e inclusivos para las personas con discapacidad, pese a las décadas de labor, sigue siendo una asignatura pendiente en la mayoría de los aspectos. Huyendo de meros datos cuantitativos, este trabajo, que es parte de una tesis, se centra en la dimensión sociopolítica de la cultura propia de la discapacidad en clave postcualitativa, para hallar las necesidades e inquietudes que mueven al grupo en la agenda por una ciudad inclusiva. Para lograr tal meta se siguió una metodología etnográfica digital y visual en las redes sociales Instagram y X, mediante un diario digital, 21 entrevistas semiestructuradas y un corpus de 100 imágenes. Los resultados apuntan a la proliferación de parques, playas, carreras y cambiadores inclusivos, a la denuncia de situaciones injusticias y a la exhibición de otras normalizadas, para lograr descolonizar los espacios y que el bienestar del colectivo sea la norma.
Personal assistance for disabled people is a field in which co-operatives have not yet had large-scale involvement in the UK. However, in other European countries such as Sweden and Norway there is a well-established co-operative sector providing personal assistance services. This paper draws on evidence from those contexts and on the author’s doctoral research. Conducted in the UK, the research used semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore how personal assistance provision could be improved both for disabled people and for those who work as personal assistants. The paper argues that there is significant potential for developing co-operatives in this field in the UK, which as yet is only starting to be realised in some small-scale experiments. There is also a potentially productive resonance between the Disabled People’s Movement concept of ‘independent living’ and the values and principles of the co-operative movement, which may suggest ways forward in challenging the political economics of austerity. However, the use of co-operative forms in this context is not without its limitations and dilemmas, and needs to be recognised as only a partial solution to disabling barriers that have deep material and ideological roots.
¿Cómo se analiza la racialización que las mujeres latinoamericanas viven en Suecia? ¿Cómo se escribe dicha racialización desde la experiencia personal y colectiva? ¿Cómo se habla de migración desde un leguaje poético, y encarnado para contrarrestar la alienación colonial que enfrentan las mujeres migrantes? Para responder estas preguntas y continuar interrogando(me/nos), dialogo con propuestas teóricas y metodológicas de los feminismos chicanos, negros y decoloniales, que proponen investigaciones ‘encarnadas’. Investigaciones donde se problematice y politice nuestra experiencia personal y sus implicaciones en nuestros cuerpos. Así, me centraré en prácticas políticas y estéticas de una escritura decolonial que instan a sobrepasar las barreras entre el lenguaje académico y creativo. Reflexionaré sobre el cambio de códigos entre idiomas (inglés-español-sueco) como un recurso retórico de resistencia lingüística. Además, exploraré el uso de la poética en las experiencias de racialización desde una escritura del cuerpo, de la piel, en primera persona. Por último, presentaré las contribuciones teórico-políticas de mis entrevistadas de un mestizaje subversivo y disidente del idioma sueco. De esta manera, estableceré conexiones entre propuestas decoloniales del uso del lenguaje y mi propia propuesta de escritura (otra) donde las lenguas se tornan mestizas, salvajes, impuras e irrumpen el texto con una sonoridad propia.
O presente artigo tem por razão propor recomendações ao Sistema de Bibliotecas da Universidade Federal do Amazonas (SISTEBIB/UFAM), a partir da abordagem racionalista proposta por Secchi, acerca dos parâmetros de acessibilidade para o acesso, a permanência e o atendimento da pessoa com deficiência considerando os produtos e serviços de informação disponíveis nas Bibliotecas da UFAM, bem como realizar discussões acerca das práticas e posturas inclusivas, pautadas, sobretudo, na quebra das barreiras que marginalizam a pessoa com deficiência. Foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica nas bases de dados de artigos científicos indexados que versam sobre as temáticas das bibliotecas universitárias e do acesso da pessoa com deficiência a estes ambientes de informação. Desta forma, a construção deste trabalho reuniu a literatura recuperada acerca da importância da importância da construção de espaços acessíveis e inclusivos para a manutenção da dignidade humana e da cidadania no que tange a pessoa com deficiência e seus direito à inclusão, à acessibilidade e o acesso à informação e à educação. Palavras-chave: Pessoa com deficiência. Ensino superior. Acessibilidade e inclusão.
This research paper explores the concept of decolonizing disability studies as a critical and transformative approach that challenges the Eurocentric presumptions that currently dominate the field. Disability studies as traditionally constituted often perpetuates a colonial epistemology by universalizing Western conceptions of disability and neglecting other cultural, historical, and geopolitical contexts. This study explores the connections between colonialism, disability, and systemic inequalities in order to advance an inclusive, pluralistic paradigm that gives voice to oppressed groups and indigenous knowledge systems. The study looks at how colonial legacies have shaped global perceptions of disability, especially in the Global South, where ableist beliefs are deeply embedded in policy, healthcare, and education. The imposition of Western biological ideas of disability, which often overlook indigenous and local interpretations with deep social and spiritual roots, is contested. By emphasizing decolonial theory, the study emphasizes the significance of opposing these hegemonic frameworks and advancing a more nuanced understanding of disability as a lived experience influenced by intersecting identities such as race, class, gender, and geography. This study employs an interdisciplinary technique, drawing on concepts from critical disability studies, postcolonial philosophy, and indigenous scholarship. It employs case studies from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to illustrate the diversity of disability experiences and the resilience of regional narratives that resist colonial and ableist conceptions. Through five case studies, the paper demonstrates how community-led initiatives and indigenous knowledge can direct more egalitarian and context-sensitive approaches in disability research, policy, and activism. The study also argues for a shift in thinking from one that sees disability as a weakness to one that respects and acknowledges the agency, creativity, and achievements of individuals with disabilities in their unique cultural settings. The study also makes the case for a change in perspective from one that views disability as a deficit to one that values and honours the agency, inventiveness, and accomplishments of people with disabilities within their cultural contexts. By appreciating different epistemologies and collaborating on knowledge production with academics and activists from the Global South, it advocates for the decentring of Western academia.
Background:
The therapeutic alliance (TA) has emerged as a key principle in enhancing the quality of health and rehabilitation services.
Purpose:
This study aimed to explore patient perspectives on the influence of TAs with practitioners during inpatient rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI).
Methods:
Using a qualitative methodology, (n = 18) in-depth interviews were conducted with inpatient participants. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The study was grounded in a social constructionist epistemology, employing theories of liminality and psychotherapy as theoretical frameworks.
Results:
Patient narratives suggest TAs are central to the rehabilitation experience. Additionally, analysis of patient stories revealed that patients entered a state of liminality upon admission. The primary theme, "Control as Enabling: Transition, the Marge," highlighted during rehabilitation, patients navigated an identity separation and transition phase central to liminal spaces. Where practitioners accommodated patients' identity journeys, meaningful TAs were established, enhancing rehabilitation. Conversely, when control was constrained, TAs weakened, increasing identity risks. TAs were found to be instrumental in protecting and preserving pre-SCI identity as well as facilitating movement through the liminal phase.
Conclusion:
This research underscores the significance of TAs in SCI rehabilitation, demonstrating their role in enabling patient control, safeguarding identity, and facilitating the potential exit from liminality. To address the unique needs of SCI patients, it is recommended that SCI practitioners receive specialized TA training and professional development.
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