ABSTRACT
Despite growing visibility of disability issues amid social unrest over matters like health care, people with disabilities continue to be denied equal participation in community development efforts. This chapter examines factors that have created barriers to participation and contributed to a process that remains politically inaccessible and ineffectual for people with disabilities. The center of this analysis contends that the tokenization of people with disabilities has prevented their full participation in political decision-making. We draw upon the works of several authors in strategizing how to grow the public space and promote inclusive citizen participation practices, while bringing attention to the benefits of a fully engaged citizenry. To strengthen the democratic process, governments and organizations must remove barriers to participation and treat people with disabilities as equal partners.
