People with Disabilities Sidelined or Mainstreamed?

To what extent are people with disabilities fully included in economic, political and social life? People with disabilities have faced a long history of exclusion, stigma and discrimination, but have made impressive gains in the past several decades. These gains include the passage of major civil rights legislation and the adoption of the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This book provides an overview of the progress and continuing disparities faced by people with disabilities around the world, reviewing hundreds of studies and presenting new evidence from analysis of surveys and interviews with disability leaders. It shows the connections among economic, political and social inclusion, and how the experience of disability can vary by gender, race and ethnicity. It uses a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on theoretical models and research in economics, political science, psychology, disability studies, law and sociology.

• Offers a full review of the economic, political and social status of people with disabilities

• Provides an overview of existing evidence combined with new statistics and interviews with disability leaders

• Written in a non-technical fashion to be useful not just for scholars, but also for students, policy-makers, disability advocates and members of the general public