In this podcast Eva-Maria Nag hosts Jess Begon, Associate Professor of Political Theory at the School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA) at Durham University, to talk about her recent book,  Disability Through the Lens of Justice (Oxford University Press, 2023). Jess is joined by Andrew Hamilton, SGIA student and founder of Just Include, a non profit which aims to empower disabled people to use their voices to bring about positive change through political and legislative processes, policy and campaigning/lobbying.

Jess and Andrew cover a range of themes, starting with Jess' criticism of perceiving disability as a problem to be fixed, or a lack of ability, or a tragedy. The book highlights that there is nothing inherently problematic about the heterogeneity of bodies and minds or diversity of functionings, or what is usually called impairment. Instead, the focus should on opportunities everyone should have access to – being mobile, forming relationships, engaging in work and leisure etc. We are disabled - in a justice sense - when we can’t do these things. The conversation also moves to a discussion of whether an individualised approach that Jess argues for seems right. There’s a sense in which this is what PIP (Personal Independence Payments) assessments in the UK are aimed at, though in reality they don’t seem successful at enabling all individuals to function. Jess and Andrew also talk about whether the new or reformed systems of ensuring opportunities should be co-designed by individuals with lived experience, or whether adaptive preferences give us reason to limit our trust?

Disability and Justice: an academic / student-practitioner dialogue

Tom Kirk

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