This talk was given as part of the DD Network day, in June 2017, exploring the relationship between disability, citizenship and wider social movements to advance a richer and more welcoming community life.

1. Citizenship & Community

2. Let’s do what citizens do… work together for a better world

3. • Disability’s unfinished revolution
• The value of citizenship as our proper goal
• Learning from around the world

4. There is a revolution going on.
We are beginning to realise
that everyone, every human
being is important. We are
beginning to see that every
human being is beautiful.
At the heart of this revolution
are not the powerful, the
wealthy or intelligent.
It is people with disabilities
who are showing us what is
important - love, community
and the freedom to be
ourselves.
Jean Vanier

5. We’ve reached a turning
point in the fight for
disability rights.
Old strategies don’t work.
New strategies are
possible.

7. Wolf Wolfensberger on Social Role Valorisation (1998)
“The ideal service model i.e., the one with the
greatest model coherency would be derived
from the real, primary, and urgent needs of the
people to be served, and all of its process
components would match harmoniously with
each other and the content so as to facilitate
effective address of those needs”
Wolf Wolfensberger on Social Role Valorisation (1998)
Is this clear? Is this true?

10. We reconcile equality
and diversity through
citizenship

11. “The real innovators are people with
disabilities and their families” John O’Brien

12. We are
constantly
discovering and
rediscovering the
power of
citizenship and
community

13. But too often we cast
pearls at the feet of the
powerful and watch
them disintegrate in the
hands of those unwilling
or unable to change

14. WE need to come together and WORK together

15. Judith Snow (1990)
From Behind the Piano
“For true community
building to take root, the
stranger and the citizens
have to make a
permanent commitment
to each other; one that
may change in form
several times but that
continues with fulfilling
interactions on all parts.”

19. We’ve got a great legacy
of ideas and practices…
…but it feels like we’re
stuck

20. Let’s make citizenship
our goal

22. Let’s learn from each
other

28. Let’s campaign
together

33. FIND OUT MORE
www.cforwr.org
@CforWR @simonjduffy @citizen_network
fb.me/centreforwelfarereform
e simon@centreforwelfarereform.org
www.citizen-network.org