'Falling through the cracks': recognising sitting disabilities. Issue 3 (16th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lampard, Pete; Bunsell, Tanya
• Is Part Of: Disability & society. Volume 34:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 470
• Page End: 490
• Publication Date: 2019-03-16
• Subjects: sitting disability -- chronic back pain -- social justice -- recognition -- distribution; People with disabilities -- Periodicals; People with disabilities -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; Special education -- Periodicals; Rehabilitation -- Periodicals; 362.4
• DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2018.1545111
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0968-7599

Abstract

Abstract: This article attempts to 'give voice' to those with sitting disabilities, in order to raise awareness and enable constructive dialogue amongst stakeholders. These voices were collected through interviews and conversational email correspondence, with participants recruited via support websites and hailing from across Europe, Australia and North America. Numerous themes emerged in our participants' accounts and were largely framed around an inability to fit the deeply-rooted prevailing norms of a sitting society. Necessary shifts in relationships, an inability to travel, difficulties with retaining employment and feelings of distrust and inauthenticity in relation to official knowledges all emerged as a result of this. After an account of the participants' stories, we offer a preliminary analysis via Nancy Fraser's understanding of social justice, where these experiences can be understood through the categories of recognition and distribution. In doing so, we develop some recommendations for change.