Self-Determination and Disability Rights

Following contemporary discussions of environmental sustainability, I view sustainable democracy as an approach that remains open to diversity, promotes well‐being for all social actors, and advances social justice. The notion of sustaining democracy that I adopt foregrounds everyday practical and participatory strategies that are self‐consciously tied to a vision of the future which will be more economically equitable, peaceful, inclusive, and socially just. However, I argue, a political vision cannot be enacted without an epistemological articulation that informs political practice. Feminist praxis contains, in its epistemological formulation, a reflexive process by which lessons from past activist engagements are incorporated into contemporary efforts, which, in turn, are further reflected upon in changing political and cultural contexts. Feminist praxis is further deepened by incorporating epistemological insights from feminist theories of intersectionality to inform its political methodology. I illustrate the possibilities of intersectional feminist praxis for sustaining democratic practice with attention to five different dimensions: strategies for inclusion, methods of empowerment, countering power imbalances, organizing across differences, and processes of reflexivity.

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“My Voice Counts, Too”: Voting Participation Among Individuals With Intellectual Disability

Agran

MacLean

Kitchen

2016

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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Despite a strong societal commitment to ensuring that individuals with intellectual disability (ID) fully participate in their communities, few people with ID vote. Little is known about voting experiences from the perspective of people with ID. In-person, semistructured interviews were conducted with 28 adults with ID (Mage = 37 years) to obtain their input on voting. Constant comparison and content analysis methods were used to characterize themes. Results indicated that people with ID are interested in voting and desire to be included in the voting process yet receive little education on political issues or on how to make voting-related decisions. Support from family or service providers and self-advocacy facilitated their ability to vote. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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Self-Determination and Disability Rights

Cited by 4 publications

References 3 publications

Seeking inclusion through redefining expertise: the changing spatial contours of disability activism in the long 1970s

Seeking inclusion through redefining expertise: the changing spatial contours of disability activism in the long 1970s

Sustaining Democracy: Localization, Globalization, and Feminist Praxis

“My Voice Counts, Too”: Voting Participation Among Individuals With Intellectual Disability

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