A Seat at the Table

by Boyce, William; McColl, Mary Ann; Tremblay, Mary; Bickenbach, Jerome; Crichton, Anne; Andrews, Steven; Gerein, Nancy

• ISBN13: 9780773521803
• ISBN10: 0773521801
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ Pr

Summary

A Seat at the Table documents the participation of disability activists and organizations in public policy making in Canada. The authors combine studies of contemporary federal and provincial policy making with a historical perspective on the progress made by disability groups since World War I. The cases they discuss illustrate the tension between issues of human rights and personal capacities that the disability movement must deal with, but which have implications for other groups as well. An analysis of contemporary social policy networks in Canada makes it possible for the authors to suggest reasons for the inconsistent success that disability organizations have had in translating their requirements into policy.; A Seat at the Table illuminates the key social-political factors of resources, roles, and reputations that must be taken into account by excluded groups seeking to gain a seat at the policy table. The insights it provides are important for the development of more professional lobbying practices by disability stakeholders as well as by women, aboriginals, ethnic groups, the elderly, and the poor.

Table of Contents

Glossary of Organizations in this Study	vii
Paternalism or Participation?	3	(7)
From Asylum to Independent Living: Disability Policy Making, Past to Present	10	(13)
Theoretical Frameworks for Citizen Participation: Contextualizing the Case Studies	23	(15)
Constitutional Ferment: Proceeding to Patriation	38	(11)
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: The Political Battle over Four Words	49	(17)
The Charlottetown Accord: Post-Patriation	66	(19)
The Ontario Advocacy Act: Representing Persons with Intellectual Disabilities	85	(23)
Adult Guardianship Legislation in British Columbia: Reform and Restructuring through Community Participation	108	(16)
Themes in Disability Policy Participation	124	(21)
The Potential for Influencing Policy	145	(21)
Recommendations for Research and Strategy	166	(5)
Notes	171	(14)
Appendix	185	(2)
References	187	(16)
Index	203