Understanding Disability

In the 1980s and 1990s our understanding of disability has matured and evolved. This wide-ranging collection of essays by Michael Oliver discusses recent and perennial issues - such as the fundamental principles of disability, citizenship and community care, social policy and welfare, education, rehabilitation, the politics of new social movements and the international context. Interwoven as these issues are with the personal biography of the author, they reflect some of the major concerns which confront disabled people, The book thus represents both a personal journey of exploration and an attempt to take further our theoretical understanding of disability.

Combining theory, policy, historical background and personal experiences, the author's unique narrative and engaging style give readers a true insight into disability. In this absorbing text by a leading writer and respected activist, theory, policy, historical background and personal experience are combined to give readers a rich and illuminating picture of the key issues raised by disability.

In the author's uniquely clear and lively narrative style, the book explores: the practical and political challenges that disablement presents theoretical understandings of disability, disability law and the realities of policy implementation key points of contention for the disability movement.

This long-awaited new edition of a best-selling text includes new stories from the author's experience, as well as sharply framed debate about the development of policy over the last decade and a half. Its expansive coverage includes a discussion of welfare, rehabilitation, special education and normalization.

This book is core reading for students of social work, nursing, health and applied social science taking modules in disability studies. Michael Oliver was the first Professor of Disability Studies in the United Kingdom and is Emeritus Professor of Disability Studies at the University of Greenwich, UK. He is the author of the path-breaking The Politics of Disablement and Social Work with Disabled People (in its third edition, co-authored with Bob Sapey).