Revealing the ideas in the Swedish social services act regarding support to individuals with disabilities

Abstract

A disability policy defines the relationship between the state and the disabled and is generally based on ideas in different legislation. These ideas have an impact on decision makers and the disabled’s everyday life and are under current pressure for change; therefore, it is important to thoroughly scrutinise the ideas, make them conscious and visible. The purpose of this study is to reveal the ideas expressed in the Swedish Social Services Act (SoL), which supports people with disabilities, and to compare the results with ideas expressed in the Swedish Disability Act (LSS). A text analysis of SoL identified the following ideas, that is, conceptions of reality and values: (1) the social contract and justice, (2) the collective and integration/ normalisation, (3) the individual and autonomy and (4) decentralisation and the shift of power. There are great similarities between the ideas in the legislation, but there are also few but significant differences.