Active Citizenship and Disability

This book provides an international comparative study of the implementation of disability rights law and policy focused on the emerging principles of self-determination and personalisation. It explores how these principles have been enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and how different jurisdictions have implemented them to enable meaningful engagement and participation by persons with disabilities in society. The philosophy of 'active citizenship' underpinning the Convention – that all citizens should (be able to) actively participate in the community – provides the core focal point of this book, which grounds its analysis in exploring how this goal has been imagined and implemented across a range of countries. The case studies examine how different jurisdictions have reformed disability law and policy and reconfigured how support is administered and funded to ensure maximum choice and independence is accorded to people with disabilities.

Andrew Power is a Lecturer in Geography and Environment at the University of Southampton in the UK. He previously worked as a Researcher at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, National University of Ireland, Galway, where he undertook the fieldwork for this study. His research interests in the field of disability law include independent living, supported decision making and family caregiver policy. Previous research work has included an ESRC postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Health Research at the University of Lancaster. At Southampton, he currently researches and teaches across a range of areas including social justice, welfare and rights.

Janet E. Lord is a Senior Partner and former Director of Human Rights and Inclusive Development at BlueLaw International LLP, a veteran-owned international law and development firm. An expert in human rights treaty negotiations, she participated in all of the negotiations for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, serving as legal adviser to several lead governments, expert to the UN and legal advocacy adviser to Disabled Peoples' International. She is also Senior Research Associate at Harvard Law School Project on Disability and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Allison S. deFranco is Director of Human Rights and Inclusive Development at BlueLaw International LLP. She brings expertise in international education law and policy, disability law and policy, and disability inclusive development programming. DeFranco has worked with major donors and implementing organisations such as the National Council on Disability, Disability Rights International, Disabled Peoples' International and the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, to design and implement disability inclusive democracy and governance, public health and education programmes throughout the world.