Disability Protests 1970 –
2005: Empirical Realities and
Changing Meanings
Sharon Barnartt
Gallaudet University
Presented at SDS, 2011
Methodology/Data
• Quantitative content analysis of events
• From media reports, personal accounts
and organizational websites
• Located using computerized databases
[primarily LexisNexis] & print indices
• Included only protests which had
already happened
• N = 1264 protests from 1970 – 2005 in
the US
Definitions 1: Protest
Conducted by 2 or more people
Demands social, not individual, change
Not related to self-help or money-raising
Uses tactics which are non-normative in the
American political context
NOT INCLUDED
Lobbying
Petitioning
Lawsuit
Voter registration
INCLUDED
Protest march
Hunger strike
Blocking buses
Lock-out
Definitions 2: Disability Protest
• Issue is relevant to people with disabilities
• Determination is based upon issue, not
protesters: Stephen Hawking protesting
about Iraq or disabled athletes protesting
inclusion of athletes from apartheid South
Africa are not included
• Protests related to AIDS, breast cancer,
obesity or other medical problems
included only if related to disability [Ex: if
protesting disability benefit criteria]
More Definitions
Rights-related demand
Accessibility, discrimination, or legal issues such as
enforcement of existing laws
Services-related demand
Money, specific types or characteristics of services, or
education
Impairment demand type
Is based upon type of issue, not types of protesters
identified in media coverage
Disruptiveness
Based upon the American context in which marches
or demonstrations are not disruptive
FIG 1: Frequency of Protests by Year
250
200
150
100
50
0
5
3
1
99
97
95
93
91
89
87
85
83
81
79
77
75
73
71
FIG 2: Impairment demand Type
52.5%
18.3%
10.8%
Cross
disability
Mobility
Deafness
9.2%
4.9%
4.4%
Blindness
Dev. Dis.
Other
FIG 3: Disability Demand category
44.3%
41.1%
14.6%
rights
services
other
FIG 4: Protest Targets
36.5%
32.9%
21.7%
8.8%
Local
State
Federal
Other
FIG 5: Other Characteristics [% ‘yes’]
62.6%
23.8%
16.8%
8.4%
Disruptive
Police
Arrests
Organization
FIG 6: Numbers of Protests per Decade
FIG 7: Cross Disability Demands by Decade
[as % of all demands]
77.5%
57.3%
50.0%
21.5%
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
FIG 8: Demand Type by Decade
70.0%
Rights
services
60.0%
Other
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
FIG 9: Organizational Involvement by Decade
80.0%
Any Org
70.0%
ADAPT
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
FIG 10: Police Presence and Disruptiveness
by Decade
35.0%
Police
Disruptive
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
Empirical Realities
1. Disability demands have become more
cross-disability, but they were not initially.
2. Disability protests overall are now more
likely to relate to services than rights.
3. Many disability protests are not fomented by
organizations, and this is increasingly so.
4. ADAPT’s proportional involvement in
protests has decreased.
5. Protest activity is less disruptive and less
likely to involve police.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Meanings: What Do Protests Tell Us?
Protesters do not represent all or even a
substantial part of the disability community.
There is not a Disability Rights Movement,
rather a Disability Movement.
Issues related to services have not gone
away and are still contentious.
Protest activity is increasingly less likely to
be claimed by organizations—therefore
more spontaneous.
Future research: The Disability Movement
is moving towards non-contentious tactics?