Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Disability Rights: Positive Peace Through a Disability Lens

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Peace

  • 63 Accesses

Abstract

According to the founding figure of peace and conflict studies, positive peace refers to the absence of direct, structural, and cultural violence, as well as the presence of social justice (Galtung, J Peace Res 6(3):167–191, 1969; J Peace Res 27(3):291–305, 1990; Peace, negative and positive. In: Young NJ (eds) The Oxford international encyclopedia of peace. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2010). But what does this mean for the diversity of human experience? It is conservatively estimated that 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability, the largest minority in the world (WHO, Disability and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/, 2018). However, evidence suggests that even during times of “peace,” disabled people experience higher rates of direct, structural, and cultural violence than the nondisabled majority. With this in mind, the aim of this chapter is to provide a platform from which an important and critical discussion about the role of disabled people within positive peace research, literature, and practice can take place. The chapter begins with an overview of disability, before violence and peace is examined through a disability lens. Practical suggestions on how to ensure peace research and practice is sensitive to inclusivity and accessibility are then provided, before a call to action is presented to those who are actively building cultures of positive peace within their communities and beyond.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amponsah-Bediako, K. (2013). Relevance of disability models from the perspective of a developing country: An analysis. Developing Country Studies, 3, 121–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhanushali, K. (2007). Changing face of disability movement: From charity to empowerment. Paper presented at the National Seminar on Revisiting Social Work in the field of Health – A Journey from Welfare to Empowerment, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=965999

  • Bickenbach, J. E. (2000). The ADA v. the Canadian charter of rights: Disability rights and the social model of disability. In L. P. Francis & A. Silvers (Eds.), Americans with disabilities: Exploring implications of the law for individuals and institutions (pp. 342–356). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blind Low Vision NZ. (2020). Making your communications accessible. Retrieved from https://blindfoundation.org.nz/how-we-can-help/businesses-and-professionals/accessible-documents-and-websites/

  • Brittain, I. (2012). Sport for the disabled as social (Re) education and a (Re) builder of lives. In K. Gilbert & W. Bennett (Eds.), Sport, peace & development (pp. 283–294). Champaign: Common Ground.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, F. A. K. (2001). Inciting legal fictions: ‘Disability’s’ date with ontology and the ableist body of the law. Griffith Law Review, 10(1), 42–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • CBM. (2012). Inclusion made easy: A quick program guide to disability in development. Retrieved from https://www.cbm.org/Inclusion-Made-Easy-329091.php

  • Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. (2016). The Charter. Retrieved from http://humanitariandisabilitycharter.org/.

  • Clare, E. (2001). Stolen bodies, reclaimed bodies: Disability and queerness. Public Culture, 13(3), 359–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crock, M., Ernst, C., & McCallum, R. (2012). Where disability and displacement intersect: Asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities. International Journal of Refugee Law, 24(4), 735–764.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crock, M., Hart, N., & McCallum, R. (2015). War, law and disability. In D. Mitchell & V. Karr (Eds.), Crises, conflict and disability: Ensuring equality (Paperback ed.). Oxfordshire: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crock, M., Smith-Khan, L., McCallum, R. C., & Saul, B. (2017). The legal protection of refugees with disabilities: Forgotten and invisible? Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, L. J. (2013). The disability studies reader (4th ed.). London: Taylor and Francis.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Degener, T. (2016). Disability in a human rights context. Laws, 5(3), 35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Degener, T. (2017). A new human rights model of disability. In V. Della Fina & R. Cera (Eds.), The United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: A commentary (pp. 41–59). Cham: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • DeRoy, P., & Henry, N. B. (2018). Violence and LGBT human rights in Guyana. In N. Nicol et al. (Eds.), Envisioning global LGBT human rights: (Neo)colonialism, neoliberalism, resistance and hope (pp. 157–175). London: Human Rights Consortium, Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devandas, C. (2017). Rights for persons with disabilities cover “every single group in society”. UN News. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/audio/2017/06/629192#.WT_Rdmjyv6R

  • Duyan, V. (2007). The community effects of disabled sports. In Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism (Ed.), Amputee sports for victims of terrorism (pp. 70–77). Amsterdam: IOS Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein, V. (1980). Attitudes and disabled people: Issues for discussion. New York: World Rehabilitation Fund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, R. (2018). Nothing about us, without us: The pursuit of inclusive and accessible positive peace (doctoral thesis). University of Otago, Dunedin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, R. L. (2019). Searching for the voice of people with disabilities in peace and conflict research and practice. Peace & Change, 44(3), 295–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French Press Agency. (2014, July 13). Horror as Gaza handicapped care facility bombed. Retrieved from http://tribune.com.pk/story/735060/horror-as-gaza-handicapped-care-facility-bombed/

  • Gaertner, S. L., & Dovidio, J. F. (2000). Reducing intergroup bias: The common ingroup identity model. Philadelphia: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, peace, and peace research. Journal of Peace Research, 6(3), 167–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galtung, J. (1990). Cultural violence. Journal of Peace Research, 27(3), 291–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galtung, J. (1996). Peace by peaceful means: Peace and conflict, development and civilization. London: SAGE.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Galtung, J. (2010). Peace, negative and positive. In N. J. Young (Eds.), The Oxford international encyclopedia of peace. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195334685.001.0001/acref-9780195334685-e-533

  • Galtung, J., & Fischer, D. (2013). Johan Galtung pioneer of peace research. Heidelberg: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Garland-Thomson, R. (2012). The case for conserving disability. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 9(3), 339–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottschalk, P. (2007). “How are we in this world now?” Examining the experiences of persons disabled by war processes of Sierra Leone (master’s thesis). University of Victoria, British Columbia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove, S., Grove, N., & Myerscough, T. (2010). Intellectual disability and war: Issues for consideration. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 16(1), 85–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hathaway, W. T. (2013). Varieties of violence. Retrieved from http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/10008

  • Henderson, G., & Bryan, W. V. (2011). Psychosocial aspects of disability (4th ed.). Springfield: Charles C. Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Høivik, T. (1977). The demography of structural violence. Journal of Peace Research, 14(1), 59–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, B. (2012). Fear, pity and disgust: Emotions and the non-disabled imaginary. In N. Watson, A. Roulstone, & C. Thomas (Eds.), Routledge handbook of disability studies (pp. 67–77). Oxon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, K., Bellis, M. A., Jones, L., Wood, S., Bates, G., Eckley, L., et al. (2012). Prevalence and risk of violence against adults with disabilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. The Lancet, 379(9826), 1621–1629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IASC. (2019, November 12). Guidelines: Inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action. Retrieved from https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/iasc-task-team-inclusion-persons-disabilities-humanitarian-action/documents/iasc-guidelines

  • Isaac, D. (2016, July 19). Disabled are treated like second-class citizens. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-36839725/disabled-are-treated-like-second-class-citizens

  • Johnstone, D. (2001). An introduction to disability studies (2nd ed.). Oxon: David Fulton Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, N. (2019, July 30). Noel Joyce: A disabled designer’s perspective [Video file]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB-DNZ3yIoE&feature=emb_logo.

  • Kerr, S. (2013). Disability and conflict: Exploring how the peace process in Northern Ireland assesses and addresses the needs of persons with disabilities. Disability & Society, 28(6), 826–838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitchin, R. (2000). The researched opinions on research: Disabled people and disability research. Disability & Society, 15(1), 25–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladd, P. (2003). Understanding deaf cultures: In search of Deafhood. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, B., & Pearce, E. (2017). Vulnerability- and resilience-based approaches in response to the Syrian crisis: Implications for women, children and youth with disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/populations/disabilities/research-and-resources/1442-resilience-syrian-crisis

  • Mackelprang, R. W. (2014). Disability controversies: Past, present and future. In R. Meinert & F. Yuen (Eds.), Controversies and disputes in disability and rehabilitation (pp. 19–30). Oxon, England: Routlegde.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meertens, R. W., & Pettigrew, T. F. (1997). Is subtle prejudice really prejudice? Public Opinion Quarterly, 61(1), 54–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mertens, D. M., Sullivan, M., & Stace, H. (2011). Disability communities: Transformative research for social justice. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (4th ed., pp. 227–241). Thousand Oaks: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, U., & Ziegler, S. (2006). Making PRSP inclusive. Munich: Projekt Print (Integrative Project).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P., Parker, S., & Gillinson, S. (2004). Disablism: How to tackle the last prejudice. London: Demos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nind, M., & Vinha, H. (2014). Doing research inclusively: Bridges to multiple possibilities in inclusive research. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42(2), 102–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordenrot, A. (2016). Access denied structural violence, disability and education: A case study on Cambodia’s invisible children (master’s thesis). Uppsala University, Uppsala.

    Google Scholar 

  • Office for Disability Issues. (2016). New Zealand disability strategy 2016–2026. Ministry of Social Development Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.odi.govt.nz/assets/New-Zealand-Disability-Strategy-files/pdf-nz-disability-strategy-2016.pdf

  • Oliver, M. (1992). Changing the social relations of research production? Disability Handicap & Society, 7(2), 101–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olkin, R. (1999). The personal, professional and political when clients have disabilities. Women & Therapy, 22(2), 87–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olkin, R. (2012). What psychotherapists should know about disability. New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortoleva, S. (2010). Inaccessible justice: Human rights, persons with disabilities and the legal system. ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law, 17, 281.

    Google Scholar 

  • People First New Zealand. (n.d.). Make it easy – Easy Read translation service. Retrieved from http://www.peoplefirst.org.nz/who-what-where/what-is-people-first/easy-read-translation-service/

  • Plain Language Association International. (2020). What is plain language? Retrieved from http://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is-plain-language/

  • Plummer, S.-B., & Findley, P. A. (2012). Women with disabilities’ experience with physical and sexual abuse: Review of the literature and implications for the field. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 13(1), 15–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Py, M. (2020). The Invisible Half-Citizens in the Country of the Human Rights Declaration. Retrieved from https://enil.eu/news/the-invisible-half-citizens-in-the-country-of-the-human-rights-declaration/

  • Reilly, R. (2010). Disabilities among refugees and conflict-affected populations. Forced Immigration Review, 35, 8–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Retief, M., & Letšosa, R. (2018). Models of disability: A brief overview. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 74(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seale, J. (2006). E-learning and disability in higher education. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Shakespeare, T. (2013). The social model of disability. In L. J. Davis (Ed.), The disability studies reader (4th ed., pp. 214–221). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shivji, A. (2010). Disability in displacement. Forced Migration Review, 35, 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons, K. B. (2010). Addressing the data challenge. Forced Migration Review, 35, 10–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slatin, J. M. (2001). The art of ALT: Toward a more accessible web. Computers and Composition, 18(1), 73–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slee, R. (2011). The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling, and inclusive education (1st ed.). Oxon: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Smart, J. F. (2009). The power of models of disability. Journal of Rehabilitation, 75(2), 3–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stace, H. (2011). Moving beyond love and luck: Building right relationships and respecting lived experience in New Zealand autism policy (doctoral thesis). Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanford. (2020). Image descriptions. Retrieved from https://soap.stanford.edu/tips-and-tools/tips/image-descriptions

  • Symonides, J., & Singh, K. (1996). Constructing a culture of peace: Challenges and perspectives - an introductory note. In UNESCO (Ed.), From a culture of violence to a culture of peace (pp. 9–30). Paris: UNESCO Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, C. (1999). Female forms: Experiencing and understanding disability. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, C. (2004a). Rescuing a social relational understanding of disability. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 6(1), 22–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, C. (2004b). Developing the social relational in the social model of disability: A theoretical agenda. In C. Barnes & G. Mercer (Eds.), Implementing the social model of disability: Theory and research (pp. 32–47). Leeds: The Disability Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-2.html

  • United Nations. (n.d.). Factsheet on persons with disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities.html

  • Watermeyer, B. (2013). Towards a contextual psychology of disablism. Oxon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, A. S., & Moore, S. M. (2011). Universal design of research: Inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream biomedical studies. Science Translational Medicine, 3(82), 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2017). 10 facts on disability. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/disability/en/

  • World Health Organization. (2018). Disability and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/

  • World Institute on Disability. (2014). World institute on disability (Wid) working paper: The involvement of persons with disabilities in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts. Berkley: United States Institute of Peace.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeo, R. (2017). The deprivation experienced by disabled asylum seekers in the United Kingdom: Symptoms, causes, and possible solutions. Disability & Society, 32(5), 657–677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Donald Beasley Institute, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Roberta Francis Watene

Authors
  1. Roberta Francis Watene
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberta Francis Watene .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ntl. Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Otago Ntl. Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Katerina Standish

  2. National Centre for Peace, University of Otago National Centre for Peace, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

    Heather Devere

  3. Ntl. Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Otago Ntl. Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Adan Suazo

  4. Ntl. Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Otago Ntl. Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Rachel Rafferty

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Francis Watene, R. (2021). Disability Rights: Positive Peace Through a Disability Lens. In: Standish, K., Devere, H., Suazo, A., Rafferty, R. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Peace. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3877-3_26-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3877-3_26-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-3877-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-3877-3

  • eBook Packages: Living Reference Political Science and International StudiesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics