Comments on Ingunn Moser, Policy and Passion in the Field of Disabilities

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Comments on Ingunn Moser, Policy and Passion in
the Field of Disabilities

• Margo Trappenburg
• 29-5-2008

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About me ..

• Halfway between political scientist- policy
  analyst and moral philosopher.
• There is nothing like a good moral argument to
  question policy consensus.
• STS/actor network analysis can teach us how to
  ask new questions and where to look for new
  answers.

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Summarizing Mosers argument

• Dominant discourse on disability, policy
  consensus normalization, integration,
  compensation.
• Supported by policy actors, disabled peoples
  associations and so on.
• Moser assumes that there should be other
  discourses around, to question the dominant one.

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Dominant discourse

• Do not have separate institutions, go out, live
  independently like healthy, able people.

Disabled children in special schools
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Several candidates 1 the social model
Guro Fjellanger Minister of Environmental affairs
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Similar role models
Wolfgang Schaüble (paralyzed after an attack)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt polio
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Similar role models
Jenny Goldschmidt Professor of Law and Womens
studies (deaf)
Lucille Werner Television hostess and quiz master
Vincent Bijlo Comedian
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Several candidates 2 passion
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Several candidates 3 Fate
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Dominant discourse is inclined to incorporate
others (such as the social model and passion)

• My argument
• In order to prevent this you will have to
  moralize.
• Show the moral strengths of the Fate discourse
  (like in the womens movement).
• Show the shortcomings of the normalization
  discourse.

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Shortcomings of normalization

• If establishing autonomy and independence takes
  too much effort, is it still the utmost value?
  Isnt it better to live in a sheltered area where
  one can mean something for others?
• Who has any moral obligations toward people left
  in institutions when all the least handicapped
  people move out? (cf. paper Loes Verplanke)