Awakening the latent entrepreneur or fulfilling society’s responsibility: Individualisation of funding for support services for people with disability

Abstract

The push towards the individualisation of funding for support services for people with disability has been seen by many governments and disability rights advocacy groups as the obvious next step in recognition of rights for people with disability. Such individualisation, however, may be indicative of neoliberal changes to popular conceptions of the welfare state in general. This thesis explores different groups' understanding of, and reasons for supporting, such policies. Such an exploration is based on a view that such support would necessitate a different understanding of the social model of disability, which has formed the basis for the disability rights movements and disability support service provision. Respondents from government agencies and disability advocacy groups, as well as people with disability, were interviewed. An analysis of the discursive elements they employed in discussing their views of the policy was then undertaken, aimed at uncovering contemporary understandings of the social model of disability and the issues surrounding individualisation of funding. Through such an analysis, it was found that the majority of respondents presented a mixed understanding of the issues explored, albeit one that leans to side of social-democatic principles and social responsibility. Further analysis lead to a characterisation of the idea as a complex configuration of different systems of thought influencing stakeholders’ views.