Pub Date : 2022-05-04DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2060804
J. Barman-Aksözen, F. Granata, M. Aksözen, Cornelia Dechant, R. Falchetto
Abstract Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is an ultra-rare genetic disorder characterised by intolerance to visible light. Starting in early childhood, people with EPP suffer from social isolation, impaired educational and occupational opportunities, and low quality of life. Afamelanotide is the only effective and approved therapy for EPP. In England, its cost-effectiveness is currently assessed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which in 2018 issued a negative recommendation for funding. Stakeholder organisations, including our patient organisation, submitted appeals against the recommendation, which were upheld in all possible grounds. Moreover, the appeal panel expressed concerns about whether the evaluating committee discriminated against people with EPP and suggested that it seek guidance regarding the Equality Act 2010. However, three years later, the identified issues have not been addressed and patients in England remain without treatment. Afamelanotide represents another example for the trend towards a loss of fairness in NICE decisions.
{"title":"‘… they had interpreted “disability” as referring to a patently visible disability’: experience of a patient group with NICE","authors":"J. Barman-Aksözen, F. Granata, M. Aksözen, Cornelia Dechant, R. Falchetto","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2060804","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2060804","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is an ultra-rare genetic disorder characterised by intolerance to visible light. Starting in early childhood, people with EPP suffer from social isolation, impaired educational and occupational opportunities, and low quality of life. Afamelanotide is the only effective and approved therapy for EPP. In England, its cost-effectiveness is currently assessed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which in 2018 issued a negative recommendation for funding. Stakeholder organisations, including our patient organisation, submitted appeals against the recommendation, which were upheld in all possible grounds. Moreover, the appeal panel expressed concerns about whether the evaluating committee discriminated against people with EPP and suggested that it seek guidance regarding the Equality Act 2010. However, three years later, the identified issues have not been addressed and patients in England remain without treatment. Afamelanotide represents another example for the trend towards a loss of fairness in NICE decisions.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"37 1","pages":"1239 - 1245"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42974803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-25DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2065464
Yuan Wang, C. Qi, Yu-hong Zhu
Abstract Adopting an approach that differs from practices in other countries, China has made many achievements in reducing poverty for people with disabilities using two successful types of policies and a unique political mobilization mechanism. However, inconsistencies between the policies and their implementation in the Chinese policy environment has produced new exclusionary effects, hindering the process of social integration for people with disabilities. These obstacles need to be addressed.
{"title":"Poverty alleviation for people with disabilities in China: policy, practice, exclusionary effects, and ways forward","authors":"Yuan Wang, C. Qi, Yu-hong Zhu","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2065464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2065464","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Adopting an approach that differs from practices in other countries, China has made many achievements in reducing poverty for people with disabilities using two successful types of policies and a unique political mobilization mechanism. However, inconsistencies between the policies and their implementation in the Chinese policy environment has produced new exclusionary effects, hindering the process of social integration for people with disabilities. These obstacles need to be addressed.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"37 1","pages":"1060 - 1065"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44162976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-24DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2067469
R. Fish, R. Hibbin, Cheryl Simmill-Binning
Abstract This article provides an insight into the voluntary sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in one UK region, using qualitative evidence from a rapid evaluation study with leaders of volunteer agencies. We picked out the information relevant to services that disabled people access, as a way to provide a snapshot of the issues experienced during the various lockdowns, as well as participants’ concerns for the future of volunteering in the UK.
{"title":"Volunteering and the response to COVID-19 in the UK","authors":"R. Fish, R. Hibbin, Cheryl Simmill-Binning","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2067469","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2067469","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article provides an insight into the voluntary sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in one UK region, using qualitative evidence from a rapid evaluation study with leaders of volunteer agencies. We picked out the information relevant to services that disabled people access, as a way to provide a snapshot of the issues experienced during the various lockdowns, as well as participants’ concerns for the future of volunteering in the UK.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"37 1","pages":"875 - 880"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46744063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-20DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2065465
Zhongxuan Lin, Jiawen Tang, Heng Hui
Abstract The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) has had increasing influence, both positive and negative, on people with disabilities. How does ICT impact people with disabilities and what are the subjective experiences, feelings, attitudes, and understanding of people with disabilities under this influence? To address these questions, we conducted experiential and experimental research – one of the authors, Hui Heng, a visually impaired person, conducted a total of ten livestreams of his daily commute – to explore and experience vividly the obstacles and opportunities of ICT usage in a creative way. We argue that this experiential and experimental livestreaming demonstrates people with disabilities’ right to be seen and people without disabilities’ right to observe and recognize the diversity of our society.
{"title":"Livestreaming: exploring the obstacles and possibilities of digital usage for people with disabilities","authors":"Zhongxuan Lin, Jiawen Tang, Heng Hui","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2065465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2065465","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) has had increasing influence, both positive and negative, on people with disabilities. How does ICT impact people with disabilities and what are the subjective experiences, feelings, attitudes, and understanding of people with disabilities under this influence? To address these questions, we conducted experiential and experimental research – one of the authors, Hui Heng, a visually impaired person, conducted a total of ten livestreams of his daily commute – to explore and experience vividly the obstacles and opportunities of ICT usage in a creative way. We argue that this experiential and experimental livestreaming demonstrates people with disabilities’ right to be seen and people without disabilities’ right to observe and recognize the diversity of our society.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"37 1","pages":"1391 - 1395"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42500083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-11DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2060805
J. Webb, Saul Albert
Abstract Recent UK policy changes enable claimants to record their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, presenting an opportunity to study how they are produced interactionally. Disabled people have often reported feeling disempowered by PIP assessments, and these assessments are notoriously inaccurate – the vast majority are overturned in the claimants’ favour upon appeal. Given the quality of claimants’ lives often depends on their outcome, it is urgent to learn how the assessment process yields so many successful appeals. Here we analyse a small sample of one PIP assessment recording, uploaded to YouTube by the claimant, to show the importance of understanding these high-stakes interactional situations. We intend for this to show the importance of looking at the interactional detail of PIP assessments, which have hitherto been hidden from scrutiny because of the difficulty of obtaining recordings of assessments.
{"title":"A call to collect and analyse recordings of personal independence payment assessments","authors":"J. Webb, Saul Albert","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2060805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2060805","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Recent UK policy changes enable claimants to record their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, presenting an opportunity to study how they are produced interactionally. Disabled people have often reported feeling disempowered by PIP assessments, and these assessments are notoriously inaccurate – the vast majority are overturned in the claimants’ favour upon appeal. Given the quality of claimants’ lives often depends on their outcome, it is urgent to learn how the assessment process yields so many successful appeals. Here we analyse a small sample of one PIP assessment recording, uploaded to YouTube by the claimant, to show the importance of understanding these high-stakes interactional situations. We intend for this to show the importance of looking at the interactional detail of PIP assessments, which have hitherto been hidden from scrutiny because of the difficulty of obtaining recordings of assessments.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"37 1","pages":"881 - 887"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45234734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-09DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2034110
Tallulah Clark
Abstract By its very nature, the term Neurodiversity promotes the concept of biodiversity, the wonderful realm of neurocognitive functioning. Why is it that a paradigm that sets out to celebrate and give voice to those belonging to the neurodiverse community ostensibly silences those with rarer conditions? Having a rare neurological condition often intrinsically means living within the neurodiverse community alongside those with more prevalent ailments yet simultaneously living diametrically opposed. More uncommon and misunderstood manifestations are often demonised and condemned as they deviate from what society deems as normal. The neurodiverse community has been limited to those with more prevalent and understood illnesses due to a lack of awareness surrounding other neurological disorders such as ataxia. This article questions the presence of a hierarchy within the neurodiverse community highlighting how it can often exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and shame for those with rarer conditions.
{"title":"Ataxia and me – living within a neurological hierarchy","authors":"Tallulah Clark","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2034110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2034110","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract By its very nature, the term Neurodiversity promotes the concept of biodiversity, the wonderful realm of neurocognitive functioning. Why is it that a paradigm that sets out to celebrate and give voice to those belonging to the neurodiverse community ostensibly silences those with rarer conditions? Having a rare neurological condition often intrinsically means living within the neurodiverse community alongside those with more prevalent ailments yet simultaneously living diametrically opposed. More uncommon and misunderstood manifestations are often demonised and condemned as they deviate from what society deems as normal. The neurodiverse community has been limited to those with more prevalent and understood illnesses due to a lack of awareness surrounding other neurological disorders such as ataxia. This article questions the presence of a hierarchy within the neurodiverse community highlighting how it can often exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and shame for those with rarer conditions.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"37 1","pages":"1054 - 1059"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44416515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-05eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12295
Anna Dittrich, Nicholas J Ashton, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Joel Simrén, Fiona Geiger, Anna Zettergren, Sara Shams, Alejandra Machado, Eric Westman, Michael Schöll, Ingmar Skoog, Silke Kern
Neurofilament light protein (NfL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma (P) are suggested to be interchangeable markers of neurodegeneration. However, evidence is scarce from community-based samples. NfL was examined in a small-scale sample of 287 individuals from the Gothenburg H70 Birth cohort 1944 study, using linear models in relation to CSF and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker evidence of neurodegeneration. CSF-NfL and P-NfL present distinct associations with biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and neurodegeneration. P-NfL was associated with several markers that are characteristic of AD, including smaller hippocampal volumes, amyloid beta (Aβ)42, Aβ42/40, and Aβ42/t-tau (total tau). CSF-NfL demonstrated associations with measures of synaptic and neurodegeneration, including t-tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and neurogranin. Our findings suggest that P-NfL and CSF-NfL may exert different effects on markers of neurodegeneration in a small-scale community-based sample of 70-year-olds.
{"title":"Plasma and CSF NfL are differentially associated with biomarker evidence of neurodegeneration in a community-based sample of 70-year-olds.","authors":"Anna Dittrich, Nicholas J Ashton, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Joel Simrén, Fiona Geiger, Anna Zettergren, Sara Shams, Alejandra Machado, Eric Westman, Michael Schöll, Ingmar Skoog, Silke Kern","doi":"10.1002/dad2.12295","DOIUrl":"10.1002/dad2.12295","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neurofilament light protein (NfL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma (P) are suggested to be interchangeable markers of neurodegeneration. However, evidence is scarce from community-based samples. NfL was examined in a small-scale sample of 287 individuals from the Gothenburg H70 Birth cohort 1944 study, using linear models in relation to CSF and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker evidence of neurodegeneration. CSF-NfL and P-NfL present distinct associations with biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and neurodegeneration. P-NfL was associated with several markers that are characteristic of AD, including smaller hippocampal volumes, amyloid beta (Aβ)<sub>42</sub>, Aβ<sub>42/40</sub>, and Aβ<sub>42</sub>/t-tau (total tau). CSF-NfL demonstrated associations with measures of synaptic and neurodegeneration, including t-tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and neurogranin. Our findings suggest that P-NfL and CSF-NfL may exert different effects on markers of neurodegeneration in a small-scale community-based sample of 70-year-olds.</p>","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"28 1","pages":"e12295"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8897823/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81636445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-25DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2041402
Belinda Johnson, Raelene West
Abstract Negative, ableist discourse challenging the rights of people with Down syndrome to receive support services and even to be born regularly arise on social media. This disability community has retaliated against such hate speech with resistance narratives that promote the value of people with Down syndrome, with few other recourses available. This article explores online free speech versus ableism in Australia through a major case study of 60 Minutes Australia Facebook discussions. Analysis identifies types of ableism expressed, types of harm caused and dimensions of grassroots responses. Using Timothy Garton Ash’s 2016 work Free Speech as a basis for contemporary analysis, we discuss: to what extent should harmful and offensive comments directed at vulnerable populations be tolerated in the name of free speech; might negative, ableist discourse contribute to any social good; and what mechanisms beyond grassroots resistance narratives might effectively respond to harmful, online ableist discourses. Points of interest The article looks at whether the right to free speech is more important than the harmful effects of online hate speech towards people with Down syndrome. We use the ideas in a book on Free Speech by Timothy Garton Ash to think about whether online hate speech should be allowed or silenced. Our analysis is based on a case study of Facebook discussion threads from a 60 Minutes Australia television segment. People in the disability community speaking up to create resistance narratives is the main way that online disability hate speech is challenged. Other ways that could help are laws, government agencies providing support materials, and social media rules.
{"title":"Ableism versus free speech in Australia: challenging online hate speech toward people with Down syndrome","authors":"Belinda Johnson, Raelene West","doi":"10.1080/09687599.2022.2041402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2041402","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Negative, ableist discourse challenging the rights of people with Down syndrome to receive support services and even to be born regularly arise on social media. This disability community has retaliated against such hate speech with resistance narratives that promote the value of people with Down syndrome, with few other recourses available. This article explores online free speech versus ableism in Australia through a major case study of 60 Minutes Australia Facebook discussions. Analysis identifies types of ableism expressed, types of harm caused and dimensions of grassroots responses. Using Timothy Garton Ash’s 2016 work Free Speech as a basis for contemporary analysis, we discuss: to what extent should harmful and offensive comments directed at vulnerable populations be tolerated in the name of free speech; might negative, ableist discourse contribute to any social good; and what mechanisms beyond grassroots resistance narratives might effectively respond to harmful, online ableist discourses. Points of interest The article looks at whether the right to free speech is more important than the harmful effects of online hate speech towards people with Down syndrome. We use the ideas in a book on Free Speech by Timothy Garton Ash to think about whether online hate speech should be allowed or silenced. Our analysis is based on a case study of Facebook discussion threads from a 60 Minutes Australia television segment. People in the disability community speaking up to create resistance narratives is the main way that online disability hate speech is challenged. Other ways that could help are laws, government agencies providing support materials, and social media rules.","PeriodicalId":48208,"journal":{"name":"Disability & Society","volume":"77 12","pages":"1711 - 1733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41265399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}