Research subject Persons with disabilities

Disability research deals with issues around societal barriers and structures that affect people with disabilities. The department's research is about increasing knowledge about disabling structures in society, with a focus on societal structures, social conditions, working life and active citizenship.

For people with disabilities to be able to live independently and participate fully and equally in society during their life course, accessibility is seen as a prerequisite as well as support and services where people's different needs and abilities are considered. Stigma and prejudice lead to negative images of the ability and capacity of people with disabilities, and create a social vulnerability, for example by making it difficult to access the labor market and studies.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities in their lives as others. Sweden must follow the convention's principled rules on accessibility, equality, participation and self-determination, which places detailed requirements on the actors who offer care, support and service to people with disabilities and their relatives. The department's research is about how welfare organizations make care, support and service available to people with disability of different ages and their relatives with a focus on equality, participation and self-determination. Several projects examine forms to strengthen the position of disabled people in society, but also as epistemic subjects in health and care and as active co-producers of research. In addition to strengthening research on disability, the researchers work for a mutual exchange of knowledge between the department and the society.