Two recent op eds in the Globe & Mail have resurrected the thorny issue of defining disability for the purposes of policy. While one says greater unity is needed in the disability movement, the other says a monolithic approach to disability would overshadow individual needs. Certainly the conventional wisdom has been that a lack of unity around disability issues has permitted policy makers to delay acting, for fear of raising the ire of opposing factions.
Our research has revealed 11 different definitions of disability that are all prevalent in modern disability discourse. Further, a review of the literature suggests explicit criteria for choosing a “good” definition of disability, depending on the policy area under consideration.
The Globe and Mail. (August 4, 2020). It’s time to unify the disability movement. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-its-time-to-unify-the-disability-movement/
The Globe and Mail. (August 28, 2020). The power of one: A united disability movement would undermine our individual and unique needs. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-a-united-disability-movement-would-undermine-our-individual-and-unique/
McColl, M.A. (2020). Definitions of disability in Canadian disability policy. Canadian Disability Policy Alliance.