The Inclusion of the Lived Experience of Disability in Policymaking

Laufey Löve, Rannveig Traustadóttir, Gerard Quinn and James Rice
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Laufey Löve: Centre for Disability Studies, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
Rannveig Traustadóttir: Centre for Disability Studies, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
Gerard Quinn: Centre for Disability Law & Policy, National University of Ireland, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
James Rice: Centre for Disability Studies, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, and Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland

Laws, 2017, vol. 6, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: This paper examines the process under way in Iceland to align national law with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, focusing on the Convention’s call for the active involvement of disabled people and their representative organizations in policy and decision making on matters that affect them. The paper draws on comments submitted by Icelandic DPOs on draft legislation intended to replace the existing law on services for disabled people, focusing on comments relating to their ability to participate in and affect the policymaking process. Furthermore, it draws on interviews with leaders of representative organizations of disabled people that solicited their views on the issue. The findings indicate that there is a reluctance on behalf of Icelandic authorities to make changes to the established process, which limits the active participation of disabled people and their representative organizations. The draft legislation has neither been revised to include provisions for expanding the participation of DPOs in policy and decision making, nor to ensure that disabled people themselves participate in the process.

Keywords: disability; CRPD; inclusion; policymaking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D78 E61 E62 F13 F42 F68 K0 K1 K2 K3 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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