Should participatory learning and action be used in community based rehabilitation?

Whilst there is growing rhetoric about equal rights for people with disabilities, it is rare to find those that have truly found a position of equal rights, opportunity and a voice. This essay explores the changing position of people with disabilities. It describes two approaches that both claim to facilitate participation by all: Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR). The essay goes on to argue why it is important for the community - as opposed to the people with disabilities themselves - to be involved in community development. Finally, the potential for a combined approach (PLA and CBR) is explored, together with the reasons why this rarely happens.