Exploring Work Environment and Experiences of Disabled MPs in the UK Parliament

• In Event: Pushing Barriers: The Place of Disability in Politics and Political Science Mini-Conference: Disabled Political Candidates: Navigating Identity, Messaging & Voter Response

Abstract

There are no systematic analyses of institutional practices with regards to disability in the UK Parliament, though some conclusions from gender-sensitive parliaments reports are relevant (Childs 2016; IPU 2011). This gap is particularly noticeable when moving from discussing the elements of physical infrastructure (e.g., wheelchair access) to changes in political culture and behaviours that disproportionately disadvantage parliamentarians with disabilities (e.g., visually or hearing impaired, suffering from clinical depression or anxiety, etc.). Considering the demands of the role, especially of an MP that is more public/constituency facing and visible than that of a peer (Childs 2012), such adjustments can be seen as detrimental to the quality of deliberation in the Chamber and to the wider legislative and political processes (Evans and Reher 2020).
This study, an in-depth exploration of institutional culture and environment and of politicians’ and staff’s experiences of inclusion of disabled politicians, aims to fill this gap. This research follows in the footsteps of Emma Crewe (2005; 2015; 2021) and Ilana Gershon (2008; 2011) treating legislatures – in this case, the UK Parliament – and their institutional contexts as sites of contestation (Gershon 2011) that are deeply ritualised and imbued with hierarchy, complex relationships and meanings (Crewe 2021) that are a far cry from more conventional approaches to study political institutions based on rational choice theory.
Acknowledging the complexity of any procedural changes to the existing practices in a parliamentary environment, this study feeds its findings through both existing structures by collaborating with the Centre of Excellence for Procedural Practice of the House of Commons.

Author

• Ekaterina Kolpinskaya, University of Exeter