The 1994-95 Disability Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-D) sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services provided a rich resource for the quantitative studies included in this volume. Nationally-epresentative surveys that focus on collecting more in depth information about persons with disabilities are rare, therefore these studies are unusual in the level of data they include and the important insights into disability issues that they provide. These come at a time when much more information about the experiences of disability is needed to inform policy...

Disability is often described in a way that suggests that it is a permanent and relatively stable state. Even when it is described as being socially constructed, the implication is that impairment leads to a permanent status of being 'disabled'. This volume argues that the relationship between impairment (physical state) and disability is neither fixed nor permanent but is fluid and not easily predicted. Furthermore, if this is true, we need to rethink how we are measuring disability. This volume attempts to reconceptualize disability not as static but a dynamic phenomenon which is related to...

Disability can be either an ascribed status or an achieved status and its combination with other statuses will affect the person's social experiences. The term intersectionality has been used most often to discuss the ways in which the dual and simultaneous statuses of 'black' and "female' exist as facets of social structure and culture, interact in both those spheres, and affect individuals in ways which neither one does separately. Little attention has been paid to disability in this context, despite the many parallels to race and gender. This volume challenges critical thinking about the...

Physical structure, economic expectation or social relationship norms developed within various cultures can either restrict or support the participation of individuals with disabilities in society. The influence of environmental factors can vary significantly according to context, characteristics or by action difficulty. The objective of this volume is to identify and address environmental issues that support or restrict the participation of persons with functional limitations in society, either at the micro, meso or macro levels. The papers address both individual, societal, national and...