Disability and Community

The notion of community has been at the center of both public debate and social science scholarship concerning the social position of people with disabilities. People with disabilities have been excluded and marginalized from the communities into which they are born and raised, while many disabled people and their allies have argued for the inclusion of people with impairments into these broader communities. Disability activists, social reformers, and service professionals have sought in various ways to create and support communities among people with disabilities, but the nature and control of these communities has been highly contested. Individuals with disabilities and their allies and advocates have sought to foster supportive communities among those living with disabilities, while also advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities in all of the economic, social, and political activities of the broader community.

This volume includes contributions from both established social scientists of disability and emerging disability scholars who explore the complexity, opportunities, and challenges of community, community-building, and community participation related to people with disabilities. The work included here offers astute observations and fresh insights into the interaction of disability and community, and the changing role of people with disabilities in society.