An Introduction to Disability Studies

Synopsis

This updated edition not only explains disability studies as an academic field of enquiry, it also explores many of the current issues affecting the lives and circumstances of disabled people. The author: explores and analyses "quality of life" factors in the lives of disabled people in relation to the professional development of undergraduates; examines the emergence of "rights" for disabled people in the local area, the UK and abroad; indicates the strengths and weaknesses of organizations "of" and "for" disabled people; provides examples of individual and institutional oppressions against disabled people and "success stories", exploring how these have been overcome in education and employment; and suggests how disabled and non-disabled people can collaborate in the development of inclusive communities and neighbourhoods. This text is suitable for students taking courses in the areas of health, social care and allied services at NVQ, BTEC, degree and PGCE level. The author encourages students to raise their own questions and develop their own forms of enquiry.