Striving to abolish a deficit approach to disability: frames applied by frontline workers and activist entrepreneurs in employment

Abstract

Frontline workers engaged in enabling employment and activist entrepreneurs strive to reframe disability as they facilitate work inclusion. They do so in an organisational and societal context that emphasises labour-market participation. Frontline workers facilitate this inclusion when they implement and construct disability employment policies at the street level, while activist entrepreneurs do so when they privilege hiring disabled people. Based on interviews in this study within a Norwegian welfare context, I show how both groups of actors strive to abolish a deficit approach in distinct yet overlapping ways. They do so by framing disabled people in terms of their assets and contributions rather than foregrounding their needs and challenges. While the entrepreneurs brought up ways in which disability can be a central part of identity that should be recognised and talked about, the frontline workers promoted assets in an individualised manner. Nevertheless, the deficit approach is maintained in subtle ways. Points of interest The social political context that emphasises employment for all encourages key stakeholders to abolish the deficit approach to disability. Social actors use different angles or perspectives to understand complex social phenomena, such as disability. Both frontline workers and activist entrepreneurs provide perspectives that highlight disabled people’s assets and contributions rather than foregrounding their needs and challenges. Despite engagement in highlighting disabled people’s assets, the deficit approach is still maintained in subtle ways. Activist entrepreneurs could provide input into the design of disability employment policies.