Paper long abstract:

National states around the world develop disability classification systems to assess persons with disabilities in order to constitute them eligible or not to welfare services and benefits. On the other hand, national states employ disability classification systems as a mean to gather information regarding the disability population and the work ability of its members. Previous research has shown a multilevel diversity of these systems. Also, there are a few studies that analyze in depth the politics and semantics of disability classifications and assessments both for people with disabilities and the state (Admon-Rick 2014; Mladenov 2011). Since this kind of systems lie at the heart of national states' social policies, it becomes imperative to also study them under extreme conditions such as an economic crisis. This paper will examine the current disability classification system in Greece, a system which was initiated in 2010 during a period that Greece faced a severe economic crisis. Paraphrasing Langdon Winner (1986), "Do disability classification systems have politics" will be the main question that this paper aims to answer. Based on official documents from the Greek state, such as laws and ministerial decisions, and interviews with members of the disability movement as well as newspaper articles, this study will attempt to open the 'black box' of the Greek disability classification system by exploring how it was developed and implemented as well as how it was enacted as a 'political machine'.