Social policy has been complicit in the treatment of disabled people as second-class citizens: A critical discussion
By Chloe Rainey – 2nd Year Undergraduate Student – Criminology & Social Policy
Introduction
This essay aims to critically discuss the ways in which social policy has been complicit in the treatment of disabled people as second-class citizens. It will analyse legislations and government strategies which have been introduced aiming to tackle fundamental issues faced in society, specifically addressing disabled individuals’ social policy can be conceptualized as the administrative strategy to tackling social issues identified within politics, focusing on how policies function in wider society and their succession of fulfilling the needs of humanity (Midgley, 2009). Social Policy plays an instrumental role in shaping societal responsibilities, Egard et al., (2022) affirms how disabled individuals tend to face more struggles in society, with numerous policies promising inclusion but instead causing exclusion.
To understand the areas explored disability must first be defined, many theories have different views on what we can consider a ‘disability’ to be, which will be explored later in the essay. The United Nations (UN) convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities define a person with a disability to include ‘those who have long- term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’ (Baart et al., 2023, p.3).This essay will therefore investigate the extent to which social policy has contributed to the marginalization of disabled individuals, while further exploring what other factors may influence this experience.
Social and Medical Model
To understand the key concepts which will be discussed throughout this essay it is essential to first assess society’s developing perceptions of disability. Key theoretical models can be used to define disability. The two most reputable being the social model and the medical model of disability. Contemporarily, the Social Model (SM) is the most up-to-date theoretical model, as compared to the Medical Model (MM) when viewing disability and policy development, though various principles of the MM persist (Lawson and Beckett, 2020). The social model argues ‘disability is caused by the society in which we live and is not the ‘fault’ of an individual, or an inevitable consequence of their limitations’ (Bochel and Daly, 2020, p.588). It recognises disability as a fabrication from the social environment, deeming that it is the environment which makes someone disabled due to architectural discriminatory barriers (Lawson and Beckett, 2020). Whilst the medical model directs the blame more towards the disabled individual, it can be understood as the way a person’s impairment which cannot be cured or rehabilitate a person, makes them unable to fully participate in society (Bunbury, 2019). It considers the impairment as well as the treatment and support available to physically help individuals. Both theories see disability from a distinct perspective with different elements to blame, but both can be useful in the creation of strategies.
Government legislations
The UK government have actively introduced key legislations to directly support disabled people, the most prominent legislations introduced include the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995) which was replaced by the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010) in some areas of the United Kingdom (UK). The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA 2005) however remains in force in Northern Ireland. The EA 2010 is deemed to ‘prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation’ (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2017, p.21). While this Act protects disabled individuals it also portrays them to be less economically involved and beneficial due to their impairment. Evidently elements of the EA 2010 have been based on the medical model, focusing on what a person cannot do rather than how society stops them participating and challenging these barriers (Bunbury, 2019). On the other hand, the DDA 2005 has been developed using the social model (Hughes, 2009). The main proposition of the DDA 2005 is that everyone should be treated equally when using and accessing services, putting legal responsibility on providers to ensure disabled people have access to public facilities (Hughes, 2009). Hughes (2009) demonstrates that if any barriers are identified, they must be removed promptly, or elements should be altered instead to ensure that the service is available and accessible to everyone. This strictly follows the fundamental principles of the social model.
Both models impact policy development as they are the principal structure for which a policy can be created from (Berghs et al., 2016).Using both theoretical models when creating legislations, can however negatively impact policy development as conflicting views on what is causing disability issues can end up with disabled people being neglected (Berghs et al., 2016). Creating a feeling of second-class treatment as the inability to apprehend both the actual impairment and the social environments understanding of disability leads to legislations conflicting each otherwith little positive impact for the disabled community (Berghs et al., 2016).Demonstrating that social policy can aid the second-class treatment of disabled individuals, as there are still societal barriers that stand in the way of disabled people being able to actively participate in society (Bunbury,2019).
It is a dominant ideology that people with disabilities are actively disempowered by society (Okabe, 2019). Feeding into the social model and the idea that disabilities can no longer be considered a personal problem but a problem which the social environment creates. Social policy can be considered complicit in making disabled individuals continuously feel like second-class citizens through the lack of inclusive access to society (Okabe, 2019). According to the Disability Units UK Disability Survey conducted in 2021, 31% of disabled individuals struggled using public spaces while 28% found it difficult to access public buildings all the time or often (GOV.UK, 2021). All these areas which lacked easy accessibility were public facilities such as restaurants and shopping centres. Additionally, 57% of disabled people have been unable to go on holiday due to the inaccessibility in the UK (GOV.UK, 2021). These statistics demonstrate that society is still not adapt to everyone and creates a structural inequality in society as disabled people do not have the same access as everyone else even in a public environment. While this statistic highlights a problem within the UK, the issue can extend beyond national borders. The US Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Enforcement reported receiving several complaints from passengers with a disability due to insufficient services, passengers reported they had been denied appropriate transportation. While some being stranded onboard a plane for hours on end (Chang and Chen, 2012). Expressing that this is a wider societal structure of inequality. Lack of accessible travel is an issue globally for disabled individuals, meaning not only is social policy inadequate in the UK but also globally, reflecting that this is a global ideology.
Social policy can be considered complicit in this, as it is the role of the governing institutions to betterment society for everyone (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2017). It is evident that there has been attempts to do this through policies put in place such as the EA 2010 but nothing that has been truly effective at breaking down these barriers (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2017). This lack of access is a societal issue, showing that social policy has a role in the treatment of disabled people as second-class citizens. Sufficient efforts have not been made through policies to promote inclusion and ensure equality within society, leaving disabled individuals feeling like second-class citizens in a world that fails to adapt to their needs as it does for others.
Workforce
Notably, many advances have been made over the years when it comes to legislations accommodating the needs of disabled people. However, this feeling of inequality remains, nonetheless. One area which apparently is framed by inequality and second-class treatment is the workforce. Employment is a key example when it comes to exploring polices, as many incapacity-related benefits and mainstream employment programmes have been introduced but have only had a minor influence (Stafford, 2015). One framework introduced was the Pathways to Work programme (PtW) proposed in 2002, providing extra support and assistance in finding a job for disabled people (Stafford, 2015). Whilst the programme was beneficial in actively helping disabled individuals seeking employment, findings suggest that 15% of participants acquired salaried work after the programme (NAO, 2010 as cited in Stafford, 2015). This figure is significantly less to those who secure employment without a disability. However social policy cannot be seen to take all the blame as other factors can play a role in the succession of policies and citizen divide.
The attitude of employers is a major influencing factor to whether disabled individuals are employed (Stafford, 2015). A common issue is that there is little legality around what can be referred to as ‘cherry picking’ when ‘providers have the opportunity to select who participates in their provision’ (Stafford, 2015, p.77). This gives employers full power when it comes to the interview process and selecting who gets the job. Studies explored in Vedeler’s (2023) article show that disabled citizens state that many employers will show ‘more inclination to address applicants’ physical condition rather than their qualifications and competencies’ (Vedeler, 2023, p.3). It is evident that disabled individuals are treated differently and still face discriminatory treatment in sectors social policy has targeted to enforce equal treatment. Showing that the attitudes of the rest of society impact how effective legislations can be, having just as large a role to play as social policy does in the second-class treatment of disabled individuals.
Welfare Reform
Disabled individuals need direct support from social policy through the welfare state which the government has recognised through the creation of disability benefits (Saffer et al.,2018). This has been done through the introduction of the Welfare Reform in 2012 to change the benefit system. The reform impacted disabled people greatly with changes to benefit support they could receive (Harris, 2014). The main change for disabled people was the replacement of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to the Personal Independent Payment (PIP), which aimed to support and encourage more disabled people to live interpedently (Harris, 2014).The welfare reform impacted most disabled people negatively, making it much harder for them to access benefit support as well as large reduction in the amount of people that would be able to get the PIP benefits, estimating that 600,000 less people would receive the PIP benefit (Harris, 2014). To receive the new benefits disabled individuals had to go through a strenuous assessment, on top of the criteria to receive PIP already being difficult and stricter (Farr and Cressey, 2018). This meant that many disabled people found themselves no longer able to claim benefit support (Farr and Cressey, 2018).
Social policy can be argued to be complicit in the second-class treatment of disabled people through the Welfare Reform. Saffer et al., (2018) acknowledged that disabled people felt as though the new benefit process was dehumanising and as though they ‘lived in judgement’ (Saffer et al., 2018, p 1555) from the rest of society. Many disabled people due to the Welfare reform ended up with little to no entitlement to benefits, as only those with a ‘severe’ or ‘legitimate’ disability gained from the new benefit system (Saffer et al., 2018). This meant that many disabled people struggled to live independently as they were not receiving the support, they needed from the welfare state. Showing how social policy is feeding into this second-class treatment as most of the disabled community reported feeling like less worthy citizens (Saffer et al., 2018). Once again displaying how disabled people are not treated as full citizens by the government due to little benefit support and therefore face the inability to live independently as a ‘full’ citizen due to active social and physical barriers.
Conclusion
This essay has critically discussed the ways in which social policy has been complicit in the treatment of disabled people as second-class citizens, analysing how disabled people are treated differently today. The essay further argued that it is not only social policy which contributes to this treatment but also the attitude of the rest of society. While social policy has aimed to create an equal system which targets everyone, it is evident as explored that it has not been as effective as intended (Egard et al., 2022). Subsequently failing to provide fully beneficial resources and support to the disabled community (Egard et al., 2022). It is important that this is addressed to allow society to become inclusive for everyone to allowing everyone to be an equal active participant in society. To do so the government should amend and advance existing legislations and frameworks to promote the rights of disabled people just like everyone else (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2017).
Addressing people’s attitudes and stereotypes would considerably contribute to the reduction of societal barriers that hinder disabled individuals from actively participating in society (Bunbury, 2019). Attributing both the social and medical model of disability (Bunbury, 2019) it is essential that the continuous problem of individualising the support for disabled people is addressed. The UK must take a structural or systematic approach to address this as an overarching problem. Ensuring social policy provides assistance to individuals without intervening the built environment. Social policy is ultimately enhancing second-class treatment by only providing aid at an individual level rather than addressing structural barriers; in doing so it fails to eliminate discrimination but more so relives some of its effects. By doing so society can aim to create a social environment that is inclusive to everyone treating everyone as equal citizens.
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