Disability and Voluntarism 1965 - 1995 – an effective force in policy making?

1. Disability and Voluntarism 1965 - 1995 – an effective force in policy making? Gareth Millward Centre for History in Public Health London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

2. Simplified Timeline 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 DIG Rights Now! DA CCD RADAR BCRD UPIAS BCODP Spastics Society SCOPE Disabled Persons Act Disabled Persons (SCaR) Act Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 CS & Disabled Persons Act Disability Discrimination Act International Year of Disabled People OPCS Survey Civil Rights Bills SJC CORAD Disability Working and Living Allowances Personal Capacity Assessments New invalidity benefits

3. The social model of disability • UPIAS’s Fundamental Principles (1974) • Disabled People’s International and BCODP (1981) • Michael Oliver The Politics of Disablement (1990)

4. Medical Model • Impairment – a functional limitation • Disability – a social function that cannot be performed due to impairment • Handicap – a social disadvantage suffered due to disability Medical Condition Impairment Disability Handicap Adapted from ICIDH, WHO, 1980

5. Social model • Disability is a social issue • Impairment only becomes disability because society makes it so • A fair society would allow impaired people the same chances to live autonomously as non-impaired people

6. Types of Groups • For/of • Individual/Federal • Cause/Services • Lobbyist/Awareness • Impairment specific/pan impairment • Single cause/general rights

8. Insider/Outsider • Big charities – definitely “in”, but not actively attempting to adjust conceptions of disability • DIG, DA, RADAR – “experts” • BCODP – not in, though perhaps not trying?

9. The role of individuals • A small network of agitators, highly skilled and highly motivated. • Personal relationships important in discussions between “offices” • However – also very similar demographics. A certain “type” of disabled person.

10. Some disabled individuals...

11. Networks DIG RADAR DHSS Peter Large APDG Mary Greaves DA Peter Mitchell Jack Ashley Alf Morris Victoria Scott Peter Townsend Nicholas Scott

12. Unity? • Late 60s – Early 70s – Incomes • Later 80s – Early 90s – Civil Rights • The rest? Publications from DA and RADAR

13. Effective? • Kingdon (1984) and “policy streams” Solution Problem Politics Policy Window Adapted from Buse, Mays, Walt, Making Health Policy (2005)

14. Effective? • Excellent manipulation of “problem” and “politics” • Poor at influencing “solution” The Times, 15th November 1971, p. 1.

15. Voluntary organisations “discovered” disability for the government • However, social model – rights – is not a measurable legal tool • But “need” can be measured – if functional limitations are equated with“need” http://www.crippencartoons.co.uk

16. Outcome Examples • DDA employment sections did not apply to businesses employing fewer than 20 people • New capacity tests looked at medically ascertainable functional limitations – not disease nomenclature • Benefits paid more equally based on need – but still at levels far too low to alleviate poverty

17. Conclusions... • Style, type, aims and background of both individuals and organisations • The networks – how, why and when interactions take place • Times of unity, broadly times of change • Extent, scope and efficiency of said change more problematic

18. Thanks!