Handikappråd - från trottoarkant till policydokument : En undersökning av de kommunala handikappråden i Blekinge

Abstract

Abstract
Author: Birgitta Nilsson
Title: Council for the disabled – from curbstone to policy document. A survey of community councils for the disabled in Blekinge [translated title]
Supervisor: Stig Linde
Assessor: Torbjörn Hjort
This is a study of community councils for the disabled in Blekinge County. The overall aim is to investigate the possibilities of representatives of the disability organizations to participate and influence issues of a more accessible society for persons with disabilities through the community councils for the disabled. In order to answer the overall aim, the basic requirements of the councils for the disabled and their members have been investigated. This thesis consists of three themes: the conditions and structure, the process and content, and the function and participation. The study is qualitatively and empirically oriented, and has a formative promotional purpose. The theoretical framework consists of institutional theory and Sherry R. Arnstein’s A ’ladder’ of citizen participation (1969) and an illustration of participation processes at the local level. The survey was conducted using several methods. Triangulation was done through interviews with the chairmen of the respective community councils for the disabled, verification of the protocols of the councils from the years 2009-2012, and by a survey of the members of the community councils for the disabled. In addition, according to the methodological approach of the study, an Open Space session – a day for the exchange of experience, was carried out in co-operation with representatives of disability organizations. Also feedback was given to community councils for the disabled at their regular meetings. The results of the survey show that councils for the disabled have adapted to prevailing standards in the municipal organization, and functioned as an advisory body since the Official Government Report Series SOU 1970:64 was published. Influence from the representatives of the disability organizations are found in step five, placation, in Sherry R. Arnstein’s ’ladder’ (1969) which is the group tokenism. The power to decide is among stakeholders, who often do not participate the community councils for the disabled. The community councils for the disabled mainly deal with questions of physical accessibility and social policy. The questions might be from the policy level to the level of detail which requires representatives of the disability organizations to have both expertise and ability to convey information. Factors that need to be improved are for instance the financial compensations to the representatives of the disability organizations, meeting hours, the need to receive cases earlier in the process of decision making, and the management of standpoints within the municipality. In addition, expectations need to be clarified, a discussion about the subject areas should be carried out, and in relation to the influence of the members the levels of the questions should be decided. Managers in local government, together with representatives of the disability organizations use the results of the survey for their discussions of the role and purpose they want the community councils for the disabled to have in the future. Further work and research is needed on strengthening conditions and intensify in work on accessibility and opportunities for participation and influence.
Keywords: Participation, disabilities, influence, community council for the disabled,
accessibility.
Nyckelord: Delaktighet, funktionshinder, inflytande, kommunala handikappråd,
tillgänglighet.

• author: Nilsson, Birgitta
• supervisor: Stig Linde
• organization: School of Social Work
• course: SOAM21 20132
• year: 2013
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: Participation, disabilities, influence, community council for the disabled, accessibility, delaktighet, funktionshinder, inflytande, kommunala handikappråd, tillgänglighet
• language: Swedish
• id: 4276299
• date added to LUP: 2014-01-31 13:18:32
• date last changed: 2014-01-31 13:18:32