Disability Barnes Hardback Polity Press 9780745625089

DisabilityAuthor(s): Colin Barnes, Geof Mercer\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Polity Press\nISBN-13: 9780745625089, 978-0745625089\nSynopsis\nFor most of the twentieth century, people with disabilities have been regarded as victims of their condition and a burden on society. More recently, however, disabled people and their organizations across Europe and North America have challenged conventional explanations for their individual and collective disadvantage, calling for policy measures to change the image and status of disabled people in the Western world. \n \n\n In this new book, Barnes and Mercer provide a concise and accessible introduction to the concept of disability. Drawing on a burgeoning disability studies literature from around the world, and from a range of disciplinary perspectives, the authors explore the evolution of this concept and offer a wide-ranging critique of established academic, policy and professional orthodox.