Disability in American Life: An Encyclopedia of Concepts, Policies, and Controversies [2 volumes]

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Description

Disabilityas with other marginalized topics in social policyis at risk for exclusion from social debate. This multivolume reference work provides an overview of challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities and their families at all stages of life. Once primarily thought of as a medical issue, disability is now more widely recognized as a critical issue of identity, personhood, and social justice. By discussing challenges confronting people with disabilities and their families and by collecting numerous accounts of disability experiences, this volume firmly situates disability within broader social movements, policy, and areas of marginalization, providing a critical examination into the lived experiences of people with disabilities and how disability can affect identity. A foundational introduction to disability for a wide audiencefrom those intimately connected with a person with a disability to those interested in the science behind disabilitythis collection covers all aspects of disability critical to understanding disability in the United States. Topics covered include characteristics of disability; disability concepts, models, and theories; important historical developments and milestones for people with disabilities; prominent individuals, organizations, and agencies; notable policies and services; and intersections of disability policy with other policy.

Reviews

The entries are comprehensive, relevant, and definitive, as each is written by an authoritative source on the subject and in a style accessible to not only disability professionals, college students, and faculty but also high school students and lay readersSumming Up: Recommended. All readers. * Choice *
Filling a need for historical and cultural information on an understudied subject, this title highlights the economic and political power of people with disabilities and should be an essential resource. * Library Journal *

Author Bio

Tamar Heller is distinguished professor and head of the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Sarah Parker Harris is associate professor and director of graduate and undergraduate studies at the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Carol J. Gill is professor emeritus at the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Robert Gould, PhD, is Director of Research for the Great Lakes ADA Center (in DHD, UIC).