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ABSTRACT
On the 20th anniversary of the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, this paper looks at the situation of the disabled people’s Independent Living Movement (ILM) in Scotland. With the passing of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) Scotland Act, in 2013, self-directed support became the default position within the assessment process for social care. Such success may have marginally improved the liberal values within the ILM—the individual’s freedom, dignity, choice and control. However, the neo-liberal managerialism within today’s Scottish social care system, operated by Scottish local authorities, is seen by the movement as impeding disabled people’s group rights and civic participation, by cutting or withdrawing funding to the collective and its peer services. The consequence of such impediment not only restricts the group’s participative citizenship, but that of the individual. The paper calls for some time to reflect on this dilemma.
Notes on contributor
Jim Elder-Woodward has had life-long experience of disability, not only as a health and social service recipient, but as a service provider, planner, researcher and activist. He is now Chair of the GCIL and Chair of the Scottish Government’s Independent Living in Scotland Project. This project provides support to national (Scottish) DPOs to liaise with the Scottish Government as well as local authorities and other public bodies to promote the principles and practices of independent living within mainstream social and economic policies.