Investigating the Impact of MPs' Lived Experiences on Disability Representation in the German Parliament

Despite growing attention to minority representation in politics, disabled people remain significantly underrepresented in legislative bodies, facing unique challenges tied to both accessibility and stereotypes. Sometimes they are represented by their own group, disabled Members of Parliaments (MPs), however, in Germany only 1 percent of MPs openly disclosed having a disability. As a result, disabled citizens are not represented by disabled MPs or parties, but rather by individuals such as disability spokespersons or, as recent studies have shown, by women. This article examines how shared experiences among MPs and their identities influence the political representation and understanding of disabled citizens in the German parliament. The concept of Experiential Representation, which uses the shared experience of a social group as the basis of representation, is used to explore if and how MPs are aware of their representation and investigate how different parts of identity such as gender and political positions shape their view on disability issues. Drawing on interviews with disabled MPs across various political levels, disability spokespersons, and MPs who are identified as vocal about disability issues in parliament, we explore how identity and experiences shape political priorities and policy support regarding disability-related issues. The interviews also give insights into how "the disabled citizen" is constructed and what different MPs understand as this social group's political needs. Findings reveal that representation of disability interests is closely connected to one's own experiences of discrimination and exclusion as well as experiences from the MP's own social circle. This seems to motivate the MPs to engage with disability policies even if they are not directly affected by these policies themselves. The construction of the disabled citizen differs in that disabled MPs see inclusion and dismantling barriers as the main interest for disabled citizens, while non-disabled MPs focus mostly on care issues. This study contributes to discussions on intersectionality in political representation by highlighting how disability identity and own experiences influence legislative advocacy. It also highlights the different understandings of disabled citizens' political needs.