Abstract
The denial of citizenship to people with intellectual disabilities makes them among the most marginalised in every nation. Their exclusion comes from the persistent stigma associated with this disability, their assumed helplessness and the lack of self-advocacy. Their citizenship needs to become an international imperative, not least because more equal societies benefit everyone. It could be realised by ensuring that interventions to ameliorate the disability are available to infants and families and that all children have access to education and to productive employment in adulthood. More fundamentally it requires changed mindsets; new media images of persons with this disability and persistent challenges to discriminatory practices. Yet the most profound action is also the simplest: parents and professionals treating each person as though they are already a citizen.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al Ramiah, A., & Hewstone, M. (2013). Intergroup contact as a tool for reducing, resolving and preventing intergroup conflict. American Psychologist, 68(7), 527–542.
Barton, L. (2001). Disability, politics and the struggle for change. London: David Fulton Publishers.
Brown, R. (2010). Adult education and intellectual and allied developmental disabilities. Retrieved from http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/21/. Accessed 4 May 2017.
Lafferty, A., McConkey, R., & Simpson, A. (2012). Reducing the barriers to relationships and sexuality education for persons with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 16(1), 27–41.
Mariga, L., McConkey, R., & Myezwa, H. (2014). Inclusive education in low-income countries: A resource book for teacher educators, parent trainers and community development workers. Cape Town: Atlas Alliance and Disability Innovations Africa. Retrieved from http://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/Inclusive_Education_in_Low_Income_Countries.pdf. Accessed 4 May 2017.
McConkey, R., Dunne, J., & Blitz, N. (2009). Shared lives: Building relationships and community with people who have intellectual disabilities. Amsterdam: Sense Publishers.
McConkey, R., Macdonald, S., Sinclair, M., & Veljkovik, I. (2014). Training community nurses on supporting families with children who have developmental difficulties: Lessons from the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disability, 8(6), 370–380. https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-04-2014-0008.
Mittler, P. (2012). It’s our convention: Use it or lose it? Development, CBR and Inclusive Development, 23(2), 7–21.
Schulze, M. (2014). Supported decision-making: for prime ministers only? Paper given at the fourth European IASSIDD conference, Vienna, Austria.
Scior, K. (2011). Public awareness, attitudes and beliefs regarding intellectual disability: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(2), 164–182.
United Nations. (1971). Declaration on the rights of mentally retarded persons. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RightsOfMentallyRetardedPersons.aspx. Accessed 4 May 2017.
United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf. Accessed 3 May 2017.
United Nations. (2016). Millennium Development Goals indicators. Retrieved from https://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=Indicators/OfficialList.htm. Accessed 4 May 2017.
United Nations Secretary-General. (2013). Report of the high level meeting on disability and development in the realisation of the millennium development goals for persons with disabilities (General assembly resolution A/68/L.1). New York: United Nations.
Walsh, P. N. (1997). Old world – New territory: European perspectives on intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 41(2), 112–119.
Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level: Why equality is better for everyone. London: Penguin Books.
World Health Organization. (2011). World report on disability. Geneva: WHO.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McConkey, R. (2019). Citizenship and People with Intellectual Disabilities: An International Imperative?. In: Watermeyer, B., McKenzie, J., Swartz, L. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Disability and Citizenship in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74675-3_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74675-3_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-74674-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-74675-3
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)