Tensions and connections between social work and anti-capitalist disability activism: disability rights, disability justice, and implications for practice

ABSTRACT

Social work’s relationship to disability activism under capitalism is an underexplored area of the profession’s literature. This paper aims to help address this gap by providing a conceptual discussion of the tensions within disability activism, within social work, and between the two. Lenin’s analysis of the state is used to integrate opposing ideologies. We begin by providing a historical overview of the disability rights and disability justice movements along with recommendations for an integrated approach. We then connect ideological trends within social work to these models. We end with implications for social work practice with disabled people and suggested research.

KEYWORDS:

• Radical social work
• disability rights
• disability justice
• Lenin
• anarchism
• mutual aid

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.