2007 PhD Thesis Final Revised.pdf - Curtin University

time. Policy and resulting legislation flows from that model, giving effect to one or
other particular ideological stance that determines the overall relationship of the state
to people with disabilities. Each of the ideological stances outlined tends to reflect
one of the models.
An example of the relationship between policy and models was demonstrated
in the 1950s when most Western countries did not have any clearly defined policy
for people with disabilities. Sainsbury (1973, p12) indicated that “in Britain, no
attempt has been made to respond systematically to the problems of the disabled
population.” The reason for this lack of policy was due to a combination of
piecemeal and negative policy approaches in that the government did not have any
active policy and it was seen to be the role of charities to look after people with
disabilities, reinforcing the association of disability with tragedy and loss.
The effective implementation of maximal policy occurred in the late 1960s
and early 1970s, while rights-based policies and legislation began to emerge in the
mid-1970s in most Western countries (Clear, 2000). An example which highlights
the use of maximal policy and the move towards the use of rights-based policies was
the introduction of sheltered workshops in Britain (Schlesinger & Whelan, 1979).
The introduction of sheltered workshops by the government ensured a high level of
government intervention in the lives of people with disabilities. However, a change
in policy was sparked by a number of studies. One significant example is the 1979
British study into the validity of sheltered workshops. Although this study revealed
that the government had succeeded in providing economic benefits to the country
through the use of laissez-faire and maximal-based policies, the report noted that
“the majority of those attending the Centres will probably work there permanently
because they will never reach outside employment” (Schlesinger & Whelan, 1979,
p104). This was a large blow to existing policy as it was initially believed that
getting people with disabilities into sheltered workshops was a valid and responsible
way of social integration.
Further study into the sheltered workshops concept identified inconsistencies
in government policy. As a result, disability advocacy groups sought to abolish this
approach and implement clearly established guidelines for the physical and economic
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