Leahy, Ann and Ferri, Delia (2022) The right to participate in cultural life of persons with disabilities in Europe: Where is the paradigm shift? Alter: European Journal of Disability Research. pp. 1-25. ISSN 18750672

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Abstract

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is associated with a paradigm shift in how disability is approached, as it views persons with disabilities as holders of rights and as active members of society. It aims to ensure that people with disabilities are fully included in communal life, and, in Article 30, addresses participation in culture. This research article focuses on the implementation of Article 30, investigating whether there is evidence of the paradigm shift underpinning the CRPD in how cultural participation is approached by States Parties. Focusing on Europe and on the basis of a systematic qualitative document analysis of States’ reports to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and recommendations made by the Committee in response to them, this article shows that the medical model of disability still underpins cultural participation. Signs of a paradigm shift are, however, evident in the way States address accessibility and identities of some groups. Physical access to buildings and heritage is a prominent issue, and awareness of the need to facilitate access to cultural content is emerging. This article concludes that full realisation of the paradigm shift in the cultural domain, while being essential to achieve full inclusion of persons with disabilities, is yet to come.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Paradigm Shift; Culture; Heritage; Document Analysis;
Academic Unit:	Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute Centre for European and Eurasian Studies Faculty of Social Sciences > Law
Item ID:	16695
Depositing User:	Delia Ferri
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2022 12:12
Journal or Publication Title:	Alter: European Journal of Disability Research
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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