The New Political Economy of Disability: Transnational Networks and Individualised Funding in the Age of Neoliberalism

This book explores how individualised, market-based models of disability support provision have been mobilised in and across different countries through cross-national investigation of individualised funding (IF). It argues that IFs mobility is not attributable to neoliberalism alone but to the complex intersections between neoliberal and emancipatory agendas and transnational networks. It features first-hand accounts of activists and advocates engaged in these struggles and illuminates the consequences and risks of the dangerous liaisons and political trade-offs necessary to get individualised funding on the policy agenda.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 29 August 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate dynamics of how individualized, market-based models of disability support provision have been mobilized across different countries through a cross-national investigation of individualised funding (IF) as an object of neoliberal policy mobility. Drawing from a rich theoretical framework and extensive empirical research, the book offers a timely examination of the policy processes and mechanisms driving the spread of IF amongst countries at the forefront of disability policy reform. It argues that IFs mobility is not solely attributable to neoliberalism but rather to the complex interplay between neoliberal and emancipatory agendas, as well as the transnational networks that have blended these agendas in innovative ways within different institutional contexts.

The book showcases how disability rights struggles have converged with neoliberal agendas, explaining the propensity of IF to move and evolve across different jurisdictions. Through first-hand accounts of activists and advocates engaged in these struggles, it sheds light on the consequences and risks associated with the dangerous liaisons and political trade-offs that were deemed necessary to bring individualised funding to the policy agenda for disabled people.

This book is of immense interest to scholars and students engaged in disability studies, social policy, sociology, and political science more broadly. It provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of disability support and the complex interplay between neoliberal policies, social movements, and the rights of disabled individuals worldwide.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367686307