Empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities to Challenge Stigma

Abstract

Empowering people with intellectual disabilities to challenge stigma is complex. In many countries, decades of social policy designed to promote equal rights and enhance social inclusion have failed to generate the social conditions or the types of support arrangements necessary for people with intellectual disabilities to lead self-determined lives. Their deeply stigmatised social identities are difficult to manage and the disability rights movement has often not welcomed their participation, leaving individuals with few options to challenge negative perceptions. Self-advocacy groups offer distinct social spaces that enable people with intellectual disability to develop more positive social identities and engage in 'subtle radicalism' that challenges stigma.Many people with intellectual disabilities remain on the social and economic margins of society, in our country Australia as much as elsewhere; living in a 'distinct social space' made up of family, paid staff and other people with disabilities, without employment or engagement in meaningful activities or social relationships (Clement & Bigby, 2010; Productivity Commission, 2012). More than three decades of social policies promoting equal rights and social inclusion have failed to generate the social conditions or deliver the individual support necessary to enable people with intellectual disabilities to lead full lives of their own design. Disability discrimination legislation, for example, has achieved far more for people with physical and sensory disabilities than those with intellectual disability. Having an

Real change or more of the same? Analysing Australian media's portrayal of intellectual disability during the NDIS rollout

“…It should be acknowledged that choosing parents as advocates does not necessarily reflect the media's rejection of disability rights. As Anderson and Bigby (2016) note, even those within the disability rights movement may not welcome the participation of people with intellectual disability, with stigma and concerns regarding the person's capacity prevailing. In fact, even the NDIS advisory body excluded people with intellectual disability, despite them representing a large portion of Australians using the scheme (Bigby, 2014).…”

What’s in a label? The stigmatizing effect of intellectual disability by any other name.

“…Such interventions should focus on enhancing self-esteem and self-identity of these individuals. This could be achieved by uncovering narratives within self-advocacy groups (Anderson & Bigby, 2016).…”

Adults with intellectual disabilities as users of social media: A scoping review

“…The studies highlighted a range of highly positive outcomes of SM use that are important. People with intellectual disabilities experience the impact of stigmatised social identities in many settings (Anderson & Bigby, 2016) and SM sites and messaging applications offer individuals the opportunity to present themselves in any way they wish. A sense of ‘belonging’ and ‘visibility’ (Shpigelman, 2018) and the opportunity to make a choice about if, when or how to disclose a disability (Kim & Qian, 2021) are hugely powerful for people who may have had no or very limited control over these aspects of their lives.…”