Support to individuals with comprehensive disabilities: Ideas in the Swedish Disability Act

The purpose of this study was to determine and describe the ideas, that is, a mental construction of perceived reality and values, which are expressed in the Swedish Disability Act and its Government Bill. By means of text analysis, four concepts of reality and values have been identified: (1) Citiz...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kent Ehliasson, Ulf Ericsson, Anita Bengtsson-Tops
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Stockholm University Press 2015-08-01
Series:Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.sjdr.se/articles/340
Description
Summary:The purpose of this study was to determine and describe the ideas, that is, a mental construction of perceived reality and values, which are expressed in the Swedish Disability Act and its Government Bill. By means of text analysis, four concepts of reality and values have been identified: (1) Citizenship and justice, (2) The collective and integration, (3) The individual and autonomy, and (4) Decentralization and power shifts. The study also shows that social rights and social citizenship have been strengthened via legislation for individuals with comprehensive disabilities. It is also demonstrated that there is considerable room in the legislation for conflicts between the two concepts and values of collective/integration and the individual/autonomy. It can also be observed that there is a considerable risk that citizens are not treated in a similar manner as regards the interpretation and application of the Disability Act, which may lead to lack of legal security.
ISSN:1501-7419
1745-3011