The Process
A period of consultation with a range of disability groups and organizations within the categories of physical disability and learning disability was arranged with the purpose of:
- Assessing the scope of physical and learning disability within the Derry City Council area
- Determining approximately the population size of people with physical or learning disabilities within the Derry City Council area
- Gather feedback regarding the project brief from potential participants.
The consultation plan of respondents was drawn initially from the Local Strategy Partnership’s Mapping Our Community Directory, as advised by Disability Action. This first wave of consultations was supported by peer referrals in relation to future possible consultees.
Response to the concept of a non-geographical community bound together by disability was rejected by all but one respondent. All interviews involved a period of reflection and discussion in relation to the concept of a disability community as it would be applied to members/users/clients that the respondent organisation/group represented. A consensus emerged that the respondents did not want to be referred to as part of a disability community.
For the purpose of the consultation it was provisionally agreed that a community be defined as a set of people with some shared elements – in particular a group of people who live in the same area is recognised as a community. All respondents recognized and agreed with the concept of the “Shantallow” community, the “Newbuildings” community, etc.
The difficulty with the concept of community arises when you take its meaning beyond that of a geographically defined area. At that point the substance of the shared element varies widely, from a situation to interest to lives and values. Whilst all respondents recognized that the term is widely used to evoke a sense of collectivism they did not agree that the presence of a disability was of primary importance so as to define and collectivize them and the people they work with and for.
This view is reflected in the carefully modulated use of language adopted by people with experience of and engagement with disability; that is to say someone is a person with a disability not a disabled person. Whilst the type or degree of disability may be included in this phrase e.g. person with a hearing disability or person with a mild learning disability the emphasis is continuously on the person and not the disability.
Without an agreed formalized community, a community vision is redundant, without a community, stories, voices or testimonies are reduced to individual recording without representativeness. This was reflected in discussion with the respondents about the Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme. As the scheme consults primarily with sectoral or group interests within a geographically bounded area it is difficult for the issues and concerns of people with a disability to be heard. The community / voluntary support infrastructure that has the capacity to make the most productive contribution to the Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme is located outside of any geographical area and is unable, due to resource contraint, to input into the consultation process. This results in the unintentional marginalization of people with a disability from the scheme.
