ABSTRACT
The post-conflict environment presents both challenges and opportunities for the formation of a disability movement. This chapter highlights the experiences of Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, and South Africa, offering some potential explanations for their ability to shape the post-conflict policy agenda. The South African disability movement was able to establish a well-organized, inclusive and political movement during the transition from apartheid. The formation of Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) in 1984 was instrumental in the development of the disability movement in South Africa and served as the coordinator of the various organizations that comprised the movement. The political opportunity structure will have an impact on the types of activities that a social movement will engage with during their campaign, and activists will need to recognize and respond to these political opportunities. A successful social movement needs to be well-organized in order to speak with a unified voice, able to mobilize, and able to manage limited resources.
