Social constructions on experiences of disability from the voices of women of different bodies, confronting public policy

Information obtained from the CENSUS 2000, reveal people named with disabilities represent 27% of the general population in Puerto Rico. Women with disabilities represent over half of the population named with disability. Women named with disabilities face greater rates of poverty, and less opportunity for education and employment, even when compared to men named with disabilities.;The purpose of this study has been to explore the social constructions, women of different bodies, named with disabilities, elaborate about themselves, and what they have to say about how the social constructions that are produced by public policy.;The study has been approached from a social critical constructionist perspective. This refers to a social constructionist approach with the clear intent for transformation of structures o situations that enable discrimination, oppression, social exclusion of populations due to their differences.;The study followed a qualitative methodological design that included; key informant interviews, focal group, and document analysis. Information was analyzed by inductive method, with selective coding.;Voices that contributed to the study revealed dependant, devalued, and needy social constructions, related to people with disabilities. Policy documents and participants in the study described a person named with disabilities that is generic, with no sign of human diversity. Women named with disabilities that participated in the study expressed their resistance to the totalizing constructions produced by policy.;Texts and voices from public policy and their representatives, reviewed during the study, were contradictory. On one hand there is expressed intention in public policy to promote inclusion of people named with disabilities, yet simultaneously, sustain limited social constructions, that are identified as limitations. Participants suggested changes that consider their diversity, be presented as a revision project to the Senate and House of Representatives.;The study includes an extensive literature review in reference to women of different bodies, named with disabilities and reveals an absence of research in the field. Recommendations for future research, public policy and social work founded on the transformation of discourses on disability, to discourses on human diversity.