Many people in the Netherlands live with a lifelong health condition or disability. It is in the interest of society as a whole that they have to opportunity to participate in society, for instance in education, (voluntary) work, politics and clubs, and that this participation is valued.
Yet despite policy ambitions and numerous programmes, including those following the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this remains difficult to achieve. People with a health condition or disability have fewer social contacts on average and are less likely to hold paid employment than others. This is a particular challenge in a society that places strong emphasis on self-reliance, autonomy and participation in paid work.
This WRR advisory project re-examines the concept of citizenship. It explores which conceptions of citizenship can also accommodate people who do not fit the normative ideal of the self-reliant citizen.