Personal assistance for disabled people and the understanding of human being

Abstract

This paper explores personal assistance -a practice considered crucial for supporting the independence and social inclusion of disabled people. The staring point of the analysis is the presumption that the significance of personal assistance goes well beyond welfare, touching upon existential-ontological issues. In order to uncover these issues, a phenomenological approach is used. The aim is to highlight the understanding of human being which is mediated by an internationally prominent model of personal assistance, to wit, the one promoted by the European Independent Living advocates, as described by Adolf Ratzka (2004a). It is argued that despite its liberal-individualist assertions the scheme described by Ratzka presupposes a distributed, relational understanding of human being. A case study of recent disability-related activism in Bulgaria is developed in order to further substantiate this claim. In conceptual terms, then, the paper adds a fresh perspective to the debates on individualist vs. collectivist approaches to disability equality. This perspective is informed by the phenomenological insights of Martin Heidegger (1962) and Maurice Merleau-Ponty (2002). In policy terms the paper argues for the necessity of promoting and supporting disabled people's self-organising, most importantly peer support and advocacy activities.

Neoliberalism, postsocialism, disability

“…Yet solidarity provides the social, structural (economic) and moral (value) basis of public provision, even in its most individualised and consumer-oriented forms. For example, the already discussed mechanism of direct payments for personal assistance for disabled people has an irreducible collective dimension consisting in peer support, policy work, advocacy and watchdog activities (Mladenov 2012). When the collective dimension of personal assistance declines, the empowering and liberating potential of the mechanism also deteriorates.…”

“…The second example for the convergence between neoliberal ideas and the aspirations of the DPM is the policy of 'direct payments', which has been the backbone of the Independent Living philosophy and practice (Mladenov 2012). Direct payments could be regarded as a logical development of the deinstitutionalisation reform.…”

“…Such a vision is strongly informed by a specific model for the provision of personal assistance described by Ratzka (2004; for a discussion see Mladenov [2012]). This model is underpinned by the Independent Living philosophy (Morris 2004), but also betrays a market optimism that could hardly be supported by looking at 'actually marketised' disability policy solutions.…”

Theorising Disability Care (Non-)Personalisation in European Countries: Comparing Personal Assistance Schemes in Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom

“…The theory proposed by critical theorist Nancy Fraser can be very fruitful for disability policy analyses (for analyses in the Western capitalist context: Dodd, 2016;Knight, 2015;Mladenov, 2016; for analyses in the global context: Soldatic, 2013;Soldatic & Grech, 2014; for care policy: Swaton, 2017; for personal assistance: Mladenov, 2012;Mladenov, Owens, & Cribb, 2015;Owens, Mladenov, & Cribb, 2017). According to Fraser (2003), there are generally two dimensions of social justice: recognition justice and redistributive justice.…”

Political will against funds deficiency: Health promotion for older people in Bulgaria

“…Such options could facilitate the 'transition' of an older employee to retirement through part-time work. A voucher system for financing training in digital technologies and learning languages for people aged 50+ is also defined in this program [8,17].…”