Disability and Homelessness: A Critical Analysis of Terminology in the United Kingdom

The intersection between co-current experiences of homelessness and Disability is rarely addressed, despite lived experience of this very occurrence being commonplace. While both phenomena are underpinned by a variety of perspectives, the prevailing ideologies for both stand in contention; in the United Kingdom, Disability is increasingly discussed through an identity-first lens (“Disabled person”) whereas homelessness is conceptualized through person-first language (“persons experiencing homelessness”). In relation to homelessness policy and support provision, conceptualizations of “homelessness” and “Disability” are inconsistent, representing a terminological discord. This discord has significant implications for how Disabled people experiencing homelessness are understood and supported.

Building on theory from Social Constructionism and Critical Disability Studies, this chapter explores the language used in the homelessness sector in the UK context. It begins by examining how Disability and homelessness are conceptualized at a theoretical level. It then considers contentions in terminology from two perspectives. Firstly, an analysis at policy and service level is presented. This outlines how opposing, misinformed, and narrow categorizations can misrepresent the scale of intersection between Disability and homelessness in the United Kingdom as well as limiting opportunities and access to service provision. Secondly, this chapter discusses the real-life implications of obtaining Disability labels in the homelessness space. It reflects upon how processes of reducing, categorizing, and politicizing lived realities impacts those that these labels apply to in both the short- and long-term.