Identity of Disabled People: When do you want to be called “disabled people”?

Written by Hisayo Katsui

I am heading for Uganda in the end of January for one month to conduct my fieldworks especially on development cooperation activities. When preparing for the trip, I came across with a very important issue of disability identity that I should pay special attention to. In this article, therefore, I am trying to discuss this issue of identity.

Who are disabled people? The official definition of “disabled people” is diverse from country to country. They are usually based on medical diagnosis, on the basis of which people are entitled to certain services, devices, medications and so on. In Northern countries, the definition is increasingly diversifying as more new diagnosis are found and also because the population is aging. When it comes to Southern countries, the definition tends to be more “classic” ones which include often people with observable sensory or physical impairments. This is one way to look at the identity and possibly the easiest way for a researcher to approach “disabled people.”

For instance, in my last article in the newsletter (No.3/2007), I introduced some figures: “10-12% of the population is disabled people in the world and 80% of them live in the South.

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