Difference, Equality and Disabled People: Disability Rights and Disability Culture by Osamu Nagase, December 1995 This paper was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Politics of Alternative Development Strategies at the Institute of Social Studies, the Hague, the Netherlands. First Supervisor: Dr. Jan Nederveen Pieterse Second Supervisor: Dr. Aurora Galindo Your comments are highly welcome. Please contact Osamu Nagase: tel/fax: +81-(0)45-503-1219 e-mail:
[email protected] To Gan Yoke Ai, with love and respect Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction: Dilemma of Difference Background Statement of the Problem Objectives Limitations Research Questions Analytical Framework Chapter One: Background: History and Movement Social Darwinism and Eugenics Rights to Live and Rights to Decide: Formation of Movement Some Issues of International Disability Movements Chapter Two: Towards A Social Theory of Disability and Beyond Personal Tragedy Theory to Social Theory of Disability Social Theory of Disability and Beyond Conclusion Chapter Three: Evolution of International Instruments Developments of UN Instruments on Disability Proposed Convention on Disability Discrimination Towards the Standard Rules "Reasonable Accommodation" as Basis for Equality Conclusion Chapter Four: Different Center of Deaf People Deaf People as a Cultural and Linguistic Group Unique Aspects of the Deaf Community Linguistic Human Rights Disabled or Not Cochlear Implantation Controversy Dual Membership Category Conclusion Chapter Five: Disability Rights and Disability Culture Disability Culture Disability Culture and Deaf People Difference, Equality and Disabled People Difference as Celebration: Disability Culture Appendix One: Terminology Appendix Two: Biological/Physical and Social/Cultural References Acknowledgements Writing this paper has been an exciting experience and I owe it to disabled people and their family members, with whom I have had the privilege of sharing a part of my life journey.