Disability and political participation

What is it about?

Disability affects the lives of hundreds of millions across the world and people with disabilities often experience discrimination and unequal treatment. It is often thought that disabilities depress political participation. However, this view may be limited as the effect of disability-based discrimination on participation has so far received little scholarly attention. In this article, we study how perceptions of discrimination affect three forms of political participation: voting; contacting politicians; and participating in demonstrations. Our analyses cover 32 European states during 2002-2012. As expected, based on earlier results, disability decreases voting, especially when associated with perceptions of discrimination. However, and more importantly, people with disabilities are more likely to take part in demonstrations and contact politicians than people in general. Thus, disability-based discrimination is not always a hindrance to participation. It sometimes further motivates people with disabilities to participate.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Our work expands the way political participation among people with disabilities is understood. It is important to understand that disability-based discrimination is not always a hindrance to participation. On the contrary, discrimination can sometimes further motivate people with disabilities to participate. From the policy-making perspective these findings underlie the importance of providing, along with voting facilitation mechanisms, the necessary conditions that will aid the pursuance of forms of political actions. For example, public transport should be adjusted to assist people with disabilities when they have scheduled a public demonstration. Also, politicians and civil servants should make their offices accessible for people with disabilities, and equip their offices with, for example, hearing impaired devices in order to facilitate contact with people that suffer from hearing impairment. In reference to voting turnout there is a need to move towards eradicating de facto disenfranchisement that emanates from difficulties that people with disabilities face in accessing the voting booth or using the voting machines.