Sapienza Università Editrice

Winner of the 5th Competition “Prize for PhD thesis on Disability”

This thesis presents an analytical framework for conceptualizing and assessing well-being of people with disabilities within a multidimensional understanding of disability. It discusses different models of disability and shows how, by looking at disability at the capability level, it is possible to overcome the limits of the previous models, such as: medical, social and ICF model.

Following a multidimensional concept of well-being, the methodology used comprises a cross-sectional and a multidimensional analysis of well-being of people with disabilities using data collected from a new dataset—the Blind—Disabled Capability Survey (BCS).

The results point to the importance of various factors that contribute to enhancing people with disabilities capabilities and policy actions, such as the interaction between means and individual ability, opportunities, freedom of choice and policy responses.