Citizenship and disabled people: A scoping paper prepared
for the Disability Rights Commission
Jenny Morris
2005
(A discussion paper prepared for the Disability Rights
Commission)
Introduction
1
Background
2
What does citizenship mean for disabled people?
5
1. Self-determination
7
Self-determination and the current debates on citizenship 7
Barriers to self-determination
12
2. Participation
16
Participation and the current debates on citizenship
16
Barriers to participation
22
3. Contribution
26
Contribution and the current debates on citizenship
26
Barriers to making a contribution
30
4. Citizenship and Social Justice
34
5. What action is required?
35
6. Conclusion
40
References
41
1
Introduction
The Disability Rights Commission(DRC) has recently adopted the
following aim:
By 2020 all disabled people should have equal opportunities
to participate and contribute as equal citizens in the social,
economic, civic and community life of Britain, in ways which
are welcomed and valued by other citizens, by social,
economic and political institutions and by the wider
community.
The purpose of this paper is twofold:
• to propose a working definition of citizenship from a disability
perspective, and
• to examine the public policy, and wider social and economic
implications of the goal of enabling disabled people to be equal
citizens.
The paper first sets the background to the current political debate
on citizenship, before looking at what citizenship means for
disabled people. The second section of the paper proposes a
definition of citizenship made up of three aspects; sets them within
the context of the current debates on citizenship; and discusses
the barriers to each aspect. In so doing, the implications of the
goal of enabling disabled peopl