Disability, Society, and the Individual

"This book discusses the disability experience from the perspective of the individual with a disability and from the perspective of society, and then explores the relationship between these two viewpoints. Organized around broad themes as opposed to disability categories, with an engaging writing style and extensive references, Disability, Society, and the Individual introduces the reader to complex, important, and new ideas surrounding disability - its experience and its social and cultural context." "Readers gain valuable insight into definitions of disability, including the effects of categorization and the reasons why there are more disabilities than ever before; medical, environmental, and functional models of disability; issues related to the onset and diagnosis of disability; sources of societal prejudice, discrimination, and stigma; the effects and experience of prejudice and discrimination; individual responses to disability and the impact of the disability's onset, course, severity, visibility, associated chronic pain, and amount of stigma; and much more!" "With discussion questions, learning activities, suggested readings, and first-person accounts, this book is ideal for use as a course text."