Disability and Political Representation: Analysing the Obstacles to Elected Office in the UK

Evans, Elizabeth and Reher, Stefanie. 2022. Disability and Political Representation: Analysing the Obstacles to Elected Office in the UK. International Political Science Review, 43(5), pp. 697-712. ISSN 0192-5121 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

Around 1 in 6 Europeans are disabled, yet there are few self-declared disabled politicians. Despite scholarly and political interest in the under-representation of various social groups, little attention has been paid to disabled people. This article identifies and analyses the barriers to elected office faced by disabled people by drawing upon interviews with 51 candidates and elected politicians in the UK. It reveals barriers which occur throughout the political recruitment process, from initial participation to selection and the election campaign. They broadly fall into (1) a lack of accessibility, including the built environment and documents; (2) a lack of resources to make events and activities accessible; and (3) ableism, including openly expressed prejudices but also a lack of awareness and willingness to make processes inclusive. While people with different impairments encounter some distinct barriers, all of them have similar experiences of obstacles and exclusion which go beyond those faced by people from other under-represented groups seeking elected office.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512120947458

Keywords:

disability, political representation, UK politics, ableism

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Politics

Dates:

DateEvent
15 June 2020Accepted
6 October 2020Published Online
November 2022Published

Item ID:

28838

Date Deposited:

24 Jun 2020 08:39

Last Modified:

24 Nov 2022 13:52

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/28838

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