Abstract
This week the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled Persons (CRPD) published the results of an investigation that found that UK reforms to welfare have led to “grave and systematic violations” of disability rights. In the same week a range of other stories have made the headlines in the UK media:
Two disabled families won their cases in the Supreme Court against housing benefit cuts in the form of the ‘Bedroom Tax’.
A man who publically ridiculed a disabled reporter became the 45th President of the United States of America.
Two brothers (aged 12 and 8) were refused entry onto seven buses because they were both wheelchair users and took up too much space on the bus.
Media coverage of the preparations get into full swing for the BBC Children in Need campaign 2016, hence the teddy bear image that accompanies this post, (see also previous blog post on this topic in relation to the portrayal of disabled children).
Across these stories, mixed messages abound, as rights legislation clashes with habitualised perceptions of disabled people as poor and in need of charity, or ill and in need of care. And doubtless many are poor, and in need of financial help, and some are ill or have health problems. But the subtext matters. And much of the poverty, unemployment and isolation experienced is directly linked to the ideologically driven cuts to welfare and support for disabled people both in and out of work, as explored by Jen Remnant in her post in April, and Peter Beresford more recently. I want to argue that much of this generalised discrimination can be linked back to the unconscious reflection of a medicalised idea of disabled people as deficient and in need of normalising, or in need of pity and charity if normalising is not possible......
Two disabled families won their cases in the Supreme Court against housing benefit cuts in the form of the ‘Bedroom Tax’.
A man who publically ridiculed a disabled reporter became the 45th President of the United States of America.
Two brothers (aged 12 and 8) were refused entry onto seven buses because they were both wheelchair users and took up too much space on the bus.
Media coverage of the preparations get into full swing for the BBC Children in Need campaign 2016, hence the teddy bear image that accompanies this post, (see also previous blog post on this topic in relation to the portrayal of disabled children).
Across these stories, mixed messages abound, as rights legislation clashes with habitualised perceptions of disabled people as poor and in need of charity, or ill and in need of care. And doubtless many are poor, and in need of financial help, and some are ill or have health problems. But the subtext matters. And much of the poverty, unemployment and isolation experienced is directly linked to the ideologically driven cuts to welfare and support for disabled people both in and out of work, as explored by Jen Remnant in her post in April, and Peter Beresford more recently. I want to argue that much of this generalised discrimination can be linked back to the unconscious reflection of a medicalised idea of disabled people as deficient and in need of normalising, or in need of pity and charity if normalising is not possible......
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | Blog post |
| Media of output | Web based |
| Publisher | ‘Cost of Living’ blog |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Nov 2016 |