Hi again
Maria wrote...
Mark,
Must say, that the way you express the social interoperation of learning
/ "intellectual & cognitive disabilit-ies- is quite innovative.
Nice of you to say so, but I think my point is precisely that it is not in
any way innovative. The intial wording I used in my message was very
deliberately cut and paste from DPIs definition of disability/handicap since
1981 (itself echoing UPIAS thinking from the 1970s). The proper quotation
from 1981 would have been...
'HANDICAP: is the loss of opportunities to take part in the normal life of
the community on an equal level with others due to physical and social
barriers'.
(NB: physical AND social barriers)
This wording was partially adopted in the 1993 United Nations Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (Resolution
48/96, 20 December 1993) as follows...
"The term 'handicap' means the loss or limitation of opportunities to take
part in the life of the community on an equal level with others. It
describes the encounter between the person with a disability (sic!) and the
environment. The purpose of this term is to emphasize the focus on the
shortcomings in the environment and in many organized activities in society,
for example, information, communication and education, which prevent persons
with disabilities (sic!) from participating on equal terms."
(NB: the examples used are information, communication and education - not
steps and raised curbs!)
Yet, every month or so for the past few years, it seems that people ask why
the 'social model' of disability doesn't include people with the label of
learning difficulties. Perhaps I have missed something in my own reading but
I am constantly at a loss to understand why such an idea should be regarded
as innovative (although I readily accept that we have consistently excluded
people with the label of learning difficulties from our discussions about
these issues, particularly in academia). The arguments for a political
economy of learning difficulties are if anything stronger in my view than
they are for physical impairment.
I would certainly be interested in more discussion and views to assist my
own learning.
Best Wishes
Mark.
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