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This paper considers the ways that publicly funded developmental services for adults with developmental disabilities in southern Ontario are limited in how they support clients. This paper is informed by field research conducted in the summer of 2019, which was composed of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a policy review. Informed by parent advocates who are the main caregivers of their adult children labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this paper claims that the administrative processes of the Ontario ministry that manages and funds adult disability services relate to broader exclusionary patterns among adults with developmental disabilities. I explore this claim by reviewing how common ableist assumptions of people with developmental disabilities are ingrained in the policies and administrative processes of these services. I contribute to ongoing discussions among Critical Disability Scholars of the ways that disability as a social category can be articulated outside of ableist assumptions. Informed by parent caregiver perspectives, this article outlines how the limitations of provincially funded disability services in Ontario, Canada cause significant challenge in the lives of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One possible explanation for these limitations is that there is a disconnect between how the provincial government classifies who should receive immediate services and how many services, versus the actual need of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The criteria for high supports, such as monthly funding, placement into a living facility, and the provincial assessment for determining a person's 'adaptive functioning' are rooted in problematic assumptions made of people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the first systematic review of literature associated with participatory research involving people identified with sensory impairments and/or intellectual impairments. It was initiated as part of ARCHES, an European Union-funded heritage project. The review sought to examine processes and activities used for organising participatory research involving people identified with sensory and/or intellectual impairments. 54 papers were included, involving studies from 14 countries and varying numbers of participants across different time scales. Insights were gained into use of advisory groups, organisation and support, collecting and analysing data, sharing findings and activity types. Emergent themes enabled an identification of the while of participation. The while represents the tensions, outcomes and component parts which are evident within the multiple moments that span an experience of participatory research. Participation is not about types of activity but how any activity is undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades there has been an increase in the use of participatory and emancipatory methodologies within disability research; centring the lived experience of disabled people. This paper explores some of the ethical and practical considerations when researching in the area of disabled women and sexuality, highlighting the pervasiveness of ableist attitudes and processes. Drawing on critical disability studies and utilising critical reflexivity, the researcher, a disabled woman, discusses some of the strengths and limitations of being an 'insider-outsider' researcher. The paper also presents some strategies and considerations for researchers who seek to use inclusive methods in research with and by disabled people, including the importance of language and multi-methods to facilitate and promote access and expression. If research is to be a true reflection of the community being researched, then it is vital inclusive principles are incorporated into all stages of research projects. There has been an increase in research that includes disabled people in all stages of the research process. This paper discusses some of the ways the researcher, a disabled woman, used inclusive research methods throughout her study focused on disabled women's experiences of sex education, sexual expression and violence. The paper considers some of the strengths and challenges of insider research, and outlines ways to promote access and expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive research has gained momentum internationally. However important critiques of this approach query whether inclusive research reinforces perceptions of deficit and contribute to exclusionary practices. This paper presents a reflection on the practices within an inclusive research group over the past decade, with a focus on decision making and support. The authors used thematic analysis to critically review minutes, workshop presentations and research reports. The findings indicate a shift in how the group works together; moving away from being guided by university supporters in the early years towards increased participation in decision making and ownership of the group's agenda by self-advocates over time although balanced collaboration across all members continues to be challenging. The article explains how the inclusive approach used by the group enabled self-advocates to not only conduct research, but to also critically review their own work. Research done together with people with learning disabilities, inclusive research, has become known worldwide. Some people wonder if teams that say they are inclusive are not really treating people as equal partners. Our group wanted to reply to these key issues as we think about how we work together. To do this, we looked at our meeting notes and agendas, reports, and training presentations over the past ten years. We looked at how we make decisions and the support we get. The group found that self-advocates and supporters now work as full partners. University supporters made decisions before. Now self-advocates decide the research topics, methods, and the report. In this article we explain how we work together and also what we think about the work we do. Even though we are happy with the way we work, we still struggle with how much work we all do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expectation for universities to support students' employability through work-integrated learning placements demands investigation into how opportunities are inclusive to students from a diversity of backgrounds. In this paper, we explore the experiences of students with disabilities during work placements, drawing on qualitative data collected through six focus groups with students (n = 27). Analysed through the frame of stigma, the results show how students bear an unfair burden of responsibility in their placement experiences, as they shoulder consequential decisions to disclose and/or request accommodations to support their learning. In this study, work placement environments were often somewhat hostile, both in relation to their built environments but also through the bias and/or prejudice of others. The results shed light on the difficulties that students with disabilities face in their placements and underscore how educational equity is multi-layered, requiring scrutiny of the student life-course including access to opportunities in professional fields. Points of interest: Despite work integrated placements often being positioned as opportunities for students to 'try out' authentic work experiences during their time at university, placements are not inclusive to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities shoulder an unfair responsibility in their work placement experiences, where they must negotiate the decision of disclosure and/or request for accommodations. Students reported hostile work placement environments, and cultures of exclusion, demanding more investigation into how universities can ensure safe and appropriate learning environments for students on placement. Students recommend greater education and training for placement teams (i.e., academic unit chairs, professional coordinators) and industry supervisors to reduce stigma and combat entrenched assumptions about disability. Universities themselves must also reflect and act on how to support inclusive cultures, including supporting training and policy that embed a strengths-based lens of disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency situations such as pandemics typically widen inequities, and Australian children and young people with disability already face significant inequities in the education system. In this paper we draw on survey data from over 700 respondents exploring education experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families reported being left behind, finding it difficult to access education remotely, and that this was having a significant impact on wellbeing and mental health. We find that of all support offered by schools, social supports have a stronger association with learner engagement than educational interventions. This finding indicates the importance of social and emotional supports in learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted education for most learners; There is good evidence to suggest this impact is felt more keenly by students with disability, because there is disability discrimination in the Australian education system; This paper reports survey responses from over 700 families of students with disability exploring the impact of COVID-19 on education; Many families report being left behind and that students found it difficult to learn away from the school campus, which for many students and families led to poorer wellbeing and mental health; Our results suggest that supporting students to have social contact with peers made the biggest impact on students with disability feeling engaged with learning during this time. This shows it is important for teachers and schools to pay attention to social as well as educational aspects of school life when thinking about how to educate students with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the experiences of students with chronic illnesses in UK universities. Sixty-seven students with chronic illnesses completed an online survey with open-ended questions about their experiences in higher education. Questions covered four main topics: academic work; university staff; social and extracurricular activities; and participants' miscellaneous opinions. Using thematic analysis, the data were analysed with references to the social model of disability and social representations of chronic illness. Participants wrote of misconceptions surrounding chronic illnesses, a sense of inequality, and feeling undervalued. Many staff members seemed to lack understanding and so 'policed' academic regulations rather than accommodating for their chronic illnesses. However, some participants wrote of social and academic 'allies' who offered understanding and proactive support. The findings add substance to the chronic illness literature with the focus on students at university, and we offer recommendations to universities for improving inclusivity for students with chronic illnesses. Disabled students with energy-limiting chronic illnesses are frustrated by a lack of support and feel that they have fewer opportunities than non-disabled students. Some university staff may hold negative views of disabled individuals, and so provide inadequate support. This can lead to students' reluctance to disclose chronic illnesses. Students with chronic illnesses felt that some staff and peers did not class chronic illnesses as 'real' disabilities and felt that they were perceived lesser than those with visible disabilities. Some students proudly owned the label of 'disabled' to educate others, including staff, who sometimes used university regulations inappropriately to excuse not adjusting support for disabled students. Some staff and students were perceived as supportive allies. Universities must listen to disabled students and those with chronic illnesses to ensure they fulfil their legal and moral obligations of providing equality of opportunity, enabling all students to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a conceptual argument for the sociological analysis of the everyday experiences of disabled people through the example of acquired brain injury (ABI) survivors. Most research concerning ABI has been carried out within a medical framework. This paper adds a new dimension to research concerning ABI, and indeed, to my knowledge, is the first to explore a long-term, interdisciplinary view of both ABI and neurological rehabilitation. This paper sets out how the use of critical sociological theory can provide thorough analyses of disabled people's experiences that are free from the pre-judgement of traditional discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from basic education to higher education and, finally, to work, can be difficult to negotiate for any young person. Such a transition can be challenging, particularly within the current labour market conditions accompanying the social and economic changes facing developing industrial nations. Students with disabilities face additional challenges in their career development and school-to-work transition. The Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions tend to be the first and only choice due to the limitations posed by contact universities. Drawing from the life stories of two female students with disabilities at an ODL institution, this article interrogates how these young women negotiated (and continue to negotiate) their respective career pathways. The students share specific aspirations for their career and life development, their experiences of studying at an ODL institution, as well as their perceived employment opportunities. Also discussed here, are recommendations for practice. People with disabilities do not receive adequate career development at school, or even upon entering higher education. Disability can influence how high, how quickly and how realistically young adults set career goals. People's negative attitudes, have created career barriers for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities can succeed in their careers, if they have formed a solid identity, are determined, have a support network and create an environment which is conducive for their growth. The role of career practitioners is critical in providing the necessary career path materials in accessible formats, opening the conversation with the students with disabilities so that they make informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper examines stereotyping in relation to physical disability and gender in the South Africa. Cross-sectional data for the present study were gathered using free response items in a large survey (n = 1990) examining the attitudes of people without disability towards different facetsof sexuality and disability. The most prominent stereotypes found in thepresent study were those which characterised PWPD as withdrawn and shy, SuperCrips, or happy, funny, and kind. The findings in the present papersuggest that stereotypes of PWPD are not overwhelmingly de-sexualising, but are undifferentiated by gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced and published by the coalition government, the publication of the 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years (2014 SENCoP) sets out to overhaul the management of special educational needs (SEN) provision across England and Wales. This paper employs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the 2014 SENCoP to reveal the ideologies and aims that this policy is built upon. Following a Foucauldian framework of governmentality, this article focuses upon the way in which 'a successful transition to adulthood' is constructed within the policy, particularly in relation to the wider Conservative narrative of a 'Big Society.' Developing this analysis, the article draws upon the current political landscape of a Conservative government and the shift towards the creation of a 'shared society' in attempt to locate 'adulthood' within its wider political, economic, and cultural context. This analysis reveals the neoliberal values underpinning the 2014 SENCoP, whereby educational support is reduced to the practice of shaping and sculpting the future generation of citizens. By deconstructing notions of employment, independence, participation, and health, this article reveals the 2014 SENCoP as a tool of government, written to the demands of the economy rather than the unique needs, aspirations, and ambitions of children and young people labelled with SEN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural data on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s website outlining the complaint cases generated from Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 (DDA) were used to examine the social construction of disability employment discrimination. Using a social model and human rights citizenship lens, some 987 complaint cases were analysed to assess the prevalence of disability discrimination in employment, and its relationship to the types of disability, gender, entity undertaking the actions and organisational context. Of all complaint cases across the Australian Human Rights Commission’s operations, by far the largest proportion involves disability discrimination. Within the disability discrimination complaint cases, employment makes up the greatest proportion of these cases. In examining the patterns of discrimination seven major themes emerged involving: distinctive patterns across disability type; access to premises; human resource mismanagement; selection of new employees; integration of assistive technology; perception of cost of disability inclusions; and inflexible organisational workplace practices. The discussion examines the underlying reasons for the emergent themes where employers misunderstood key legal concepts that underpin the DDA including: unjustifiable hardship; inherent requirements; reasonable adjustment; direct; and indirect discrimination. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings as a way of understanding the social construction of disability discrimination in employment to signal ways to better develop inclusive organisational practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines how students with disabilities in Croatia perceive support, experience barriers and propose ways forward for equality of opportunities in the higher education system. In qualitative interviews, students were satisfied with the informal support they received from family and friends but dissatisfied with the formal support they received from universities and the government. Obstacles to inclusion included: inadequate transport and finance to attend university and minimal adaptation of buildings, toilets, lifts, classrooms and dormitories. Students proposed: investment in adapting buildings, personal assistants, educational grants and transport; coordination within the formal systems from national government to universities and non-governmental organisations; and measures to increase disability awareness for academics, professionals and other students within higher education. The situation for students with disabilities in Croatia is a reminder for those working in countries where policy and practice is relatively advanced that many disability battles are still to be won in newer nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its inception, the Web has been described as a liberating technology permitting individuals with disabilities to surmount barriers that otherwise prevent full societal engagement. Subsequent studies of Web-based communication have instead reported that disabling conditions are reproduced rather than challenged online. This paper uses interviews with 25 para-sport participants to provide an empirical account of how the affordances of the Web are leveraged in disability sport networks. Our findings suggest that individuals with disabilities are using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of online communication to find information, engage in advocacy and outreach projects, and form strong networks that extend online and offline. We discuss our findings in light of Putnam’s conceptualization of bridging and bonding social capital, and describe how individuals and groups use weak ties to disseminate information and strong ties to foster a sense of belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how individuals with disabilities in Shanghai perceive the accessibility of public spaces and their experiences of various barriers in transit to public spaces. We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with community-dwelling individuals with mild to severe physical, sensory, and multiple disabilities (N = 16). Our findings suggest that despite government efforts to improve accessibility, participants still perceived public spaces to be inaccessible. They encountered physical barriers, social barriers, and unusable accessible facilities in the process of accessing public spaces. Their sense of being a burden to family caregivers also compelled participants to limit their mobility radius. Despite some participants' attempts to advocate for their mobility and accessibility rights, they ultimately chose to compromise when their efforts were not acknowledged. This study seeks to inform policy and practice by increasing understanding of public space accessibility from the perspectives of people with disabilities in urban China. This study is among the first to explore what people with disabilities experience when going to public spaces in urban China, and how they understand these experiences. People with disabilities in Shanghai face various difficulties when going to public spaces. Although there are facilities designed to assist people with disabilities in moving around public spaces in Shanghai, these facilities are often occupied, blocked, or broken, and thus cannot be properly used. Most study participants chose to stay at home and in familiar places to avoid difficulties in going to public spaces and burdening their family members. Participants who tried to advocate for their rights gave up after their efforts were not responded to. Policymakers and practitioners should understand the difficulties of people with disabilities and their families when they go to public spaces and include them when developing and implementing relevant policies and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to develop an evidence-based and community-defined model for multiple stakeholders such as community leaders, service providers, and policymakers to adaptively implement to improve the quality of life of these children and their families. To inform this model, results from three previous studies conducted by the authors were combined with the results from the current qualitative investigation. Overall over 100 key informants including parents, community leaders, and government and non-government officials aged from 18 to 63 years old participated in interview and focus group sessions. The results were then analysed thematically. The resultant model consists of 41 activities across 7 sectors, including health, education, and the economy, plus a central multi-sectoral component. Taken together, this comprehensive list of activities aims to support young children's development, increase family competencies, and strengthen social inclusion for families with children with disabilities. Young children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable population in the world. A range of evidence-informed activities exists to help young children with disabilities in low and middle-income countries with settings similar to that in Indonesia. We united these activities together with additional suggestions through a series of investigations to generate an evidence-informed and community-defined model for improving the quality of life of these children and their families. We hope that this article assists researchers and practitioners to adaptively implement such approaches to improve the lives of young children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing stigma is key to improving the wellbeing of people with albinism in Tanzania. This study aimed to obtain more insight into the effects of two radio interventions with regard to albinism-related stigma: a radio drama and a radio interview. Assessment of the radio interventions was based on two attitude measurement instruments (The Albinism Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue Community Stigma Scale and the Albinism Social Distance Scale), an entertainment scale, and two informal (group) interviews. In total, 111 community members participated in the assessment prior to the radio drama, and 65 after. In the case of the radio interview, 123 community members participated in the assessment prior to the radio show, and 77 after. Following the radio drama, a significant reduction was found in terms of community stigma, and a reduction in social distance was found after both interventions. The entertainment score for both interventions was high, but significantly higher for the radio drama. The respondents indicated that they had gained more understanding of albinism as a result of the interventions, and were positive about this type of education. The current study shows that a radio show in which the listener interacts with someone with albinism can contribute to a reduction in stigma, and demonstrates that different types of radio intervention can have different outcomes. Reducing discrimination is key to improving the wellbeing of people with albinism in Tanzania. This research investigated the use of radio shows to change attitudes towards people with albinism within the community; two types of radio show were tested: a radio drama and a radio interview. Through the shows the respondents got into contact with someone with albinism. The shows were valued by the community members as an attractive means of education. The shows proved to be effective in terms of improving peoples' knowledge about, and attitude towards people with albinism. People enjoyed the radio drama more than the radio interview. The radio drama was also more effective than the radio interview in improving peoples' attitudes towards people with albinism. This research offers recommendations for organisations that are working to raise awareness with regard to albinism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between impairment, disabling barriers and risk factors relating to hate crime incidents. The study analyses quantitative data collected in 2011–2012 where there were 81 incidents of disability hate crime reported in the Tyne and Wear area of England. The research discovered that in the Tyne and Wear region people with learning difficulties have a greater likelihood of experiencing hate crime than do people with other impairments. Although there was no significant difference between impairment and types of hate crime incidents recorded (i.e. verbal abuse/harassment, violence and criminal damage), there were distinct differences between police and victim support responses to victims which correlated to impairment categories (p ≤ 0.05). The study concludes by suggesting that owing to specific disabling barriers experienced by people with learning difficulties, this group is at increased risk of being victimised and is less likely to receive support from criminal justice agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Families of children with disabilities experience stigma by association with their child. This article examines social and internalised stigma experienced in the family by caregivers who participated in a caregiver programme in Ghana. Stigma is pervasive, and gendered, with most mothers blamed for bringing disability into the home. Emotional distress, isolation and lack of support are common experiences. We argue that the mothers can experience forms of disablism. Stigma is multi-layered, and a range of factors intersect with disability-related stigma, including poverty. A support group model can have a positive impact on caregiver internalised stigma and begin to address isolation. This should be part of a wider package of support to address wider structural issues. Families can play an important role in mediating change, but first we need to better understand the social disruption caused by disability-related stigma at the familial level. Stigma amongst family members with a child with cerebral palsy, is very common in the Ghana context, and fuelled by traditional beliefs. Caregiving and disability-related stigma is gendered. The stigma of childhood disability is often associated with women's role in child bearing and rearing. Better engagement with fathers, and other key members of the family, is needed. Emotional distress, isolation and lack of support are common caregiver experiences in Ghana. A support group model for caregivers has an impact on how they feel about themselves, reducing levels of self-blame and feelings of isolation. We know that the quality of caregiving is really important in the early years of a child's development, so it is important to address any stigma. Factors, such as poverty, play a role in fuelling stigma. These other factors also need to be addressed if we want to reduce levels of stigma experienced by families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current inclusive education practices remain entrenched in deficit-oriented discourses. An interrogation of these discourses is necessary to enact inclusion driven by diversity and collective belonging. This collective case study explored 10 cases of parent and child experiences in inclusive school settings and addressed the following questions: What disability discourses are (re)produced in inclusive school settings? What are the effects of these discourses on families' experiences of inclusion in inclusive school settings? Using disability discourses as sensitizing concepts, 5 themes were generated framed in 'disability as' statements: disability as fragile, deviant, currency, defining, and affirmative. Despite a shift towards inclusive rhetoric, normative and oppressive discourses permeated inclusive school settings examined in this study. Normative discourses produced the following effects: the Othering of disabled children, governance of disability, internalised oppression, ontological violence, and invisible work. Findings from this study call for critical reflexivity on current inclusive education policies. In this study we asked parents and disabled children about their experiences in inclusive school settings. Parents and children talked about how disability was largely viewed as negative by others, which led to the exclusion of disabled children in their neighbourhood schools. Findings from this study remind us that even if a school setting is labelled as inclusive it does not necessarily mean disabled children and parents feel included. Becoming aware of the negative messages about disability operating within inclusive school settings can help schools become more welcoming and inclusive of disabled children and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the experiences of citizens with dementia who campaign for social change, with a particular focus on the effects of campaigning on citizenry identity and psycho-emotional well-being. In diary-interviews, 16 people with dementia recorded and described their experiences of campaigning. Findings revealed that although campaigning can be energising and reaffirming of citizen identity, because it (re)located a person within the realm of work, individuals may experience dementia-related fatigue and oppression linked to normative expectations about what someone with dementia ‘should’ be like. The discussion is linked to critical debates within disability studies about the psycho-emotional aspects of impairment and disability, and concludes that the struggle for citizenship has only just begun for people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a six week period, 845 people with low vision or blindness responded to our survey regarding how they used their smartphone, contributing to the first ever large-scale research project on the importance of smartphones in the Australian blind community. The results were significant − 79% of people with vision impairment use smartphones. They are part of their everyday lives and used for a broad range of purposes. Furthermore, the broad adoption of this device is a recent phenomenon – there has been a 365% increase in smartphone use in less than five years. While the rapid uptake of the smartphone by the vision impaired community demonstrates one level of 'access' is being achieved, we also identified ongoing issues impacting users. Our research demonstrates that people with disability must be included in the development process in order to ensure technological advancements are empowering and inclusive, especially in challenging times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on an empirical research study of deaf migration, using an intersectional lens. The study of migration and the lens of intersectionality are increasingly being deployed in academic circles but both are very recent when it comes to the study of deaf people. Our key reason for using the lens of intersectionality is twofold. Firstly, we believe that it enables us to highlight the experiences of people who tend to be neglected in the scholarly literature – in this article, our focus will a case study of two Black deaf African migrants. Secondly, we want to encourage the reader not merely to 'add' migration as an identity/experience of the lives of a community of deaf peoples but to examine and explore the interlocking relations of power that they experience. We believe intersectionality is an ideal lens through which to do so. In the literature on the study of disabled people when many identities are being examined it is not always clear if deaf migrants are included; in this article we do so. We studied interviews that had been held covering the life experience of two deaf migrants, which were undertaken within a larger research project. We found it useful to look at deaf migrants' different experiences within institutions such as education and the Home Office, in relation to their identities such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class or religion We found that while deaf migrants experience discrimination and racism from deaf and hearing people alike, they also find means of solidarity and support from different hearing and deaf people and groups. It is suggested that social policymakers and deaf communities can miss or neglect deaf migrants' wide range of life experiences – these need to be identified and included when forming policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities are frequently victimized or marginalized at school. However, little is known from the perspective of youth with disabilities about their experiences of victimization, coping, and protection. The current study examined experiences of school victimization and identified factors that reduced victimization, created a welcoming environment, or improved coping. Based on ten in-depth interviews, five themes emerged: victimization specific to disability was common; some schools were the source of victimization; support from educators, family, and peers reduced victimization; blending with classmates and educating peers helped to overcome victimization; and some disability characteristics limited the strategies to cope with victimization. Both peers and schools were the source of victimization in some situations and the source of coping in others. Findings reinforce the importance of family, peers, and school support to prevent victimization, as aggression is less likely to occur in environments that embrace diversity and support children with disabilities. In this study, we heard from students in the United States living with a disability about how that disability shaped their friendships, relationships with family, and relationships with school personnel. Youth with disabilities experienced physical (e.g., hitting or punching), verbal (e.g., name-calling), and relational victimization (e.g., spreading rumors or leaving someone out of a group on purpose); much of it was specific to their disability. The support from family, peers, and school staff was important to protect youth with a disability from bullying and to help them cope with victimization. Youth experienced protection and support from participating in disability-specific summer camps, attending schools with like-minded peers (e.g., art school), and educating peers and school staff about their disability. Participants described significant difficulty getting the disability-related accommodations (e.g., wheelchair-accessible school bus, permission to carry blood glucose meter at school) they needed at school, which are required by law in the United States. This difficulty getting accommodations lead to feelings of victimization from school staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how formerly sighted Deaf individuals confront vision loss and grapple with adopting new identities as Deaf-Blind individuals. Co-researchers in this study analyze sighted Deaf culture and the resulting power dynamics that have relegated the Deaf-Blind body as inferior, revoking membership from sighted Deaf culture. From the perspective of 6 Deaf-Blind individuals, the balance of power within sighted Deaf culture is explored and solidified to reveal a hierarchy which categorizes the Deaf Disabled body in comparison to the sighted, Deaf normate. Members of the Deaf-Blind communities are beginning to develop their own culture which is separate from sighted Deaf culture and operates under different norms. Deaf-Blind communities reject the label of Deaf with a disability and have begun to take ownership of not only the definition of culture, but the modality in which they communicate. A majority of Deaf-Blind individuals lose vision in early adulthood, which means at some point, they were members of sighted Deaf culture and then become outcasts as a "disabled" body. The research indicates that Deaf culture actually has an unspoken hierarchy where power is concerned, an analysis that is not yet part of the academic discourse, particularly where Deaf Critical Theory is concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media representations can perpetuate stereotypes about marginalized groups. Autism is often portrayed as a series of deficits needing correction. Many autistic self-advocates argue, however, that their neurological characteristics represent natural genetic variation—neurodiversity—and that they are not in need of a "cure." The current study examined articles about autism on The Washington Post website from January 2007 through December 2016. It was hypothesized that articles would contain more elements of the neurodiversity perspective over time. Each article was coded for its overall valence, four measures of neurodiversity, and four deficit measures. Mean valence and mean composite neurodiversity scores significantly increased over time, while the mean composite deficit score significantly decreased over time. While the data suggest positive trends towards the neurodiversity perspective, they also reveal that some aspects of the deficit view of autism did not change over this time period in this news outlet. Autism is often portrayed as entirely negative, but it has been argued that autism represents a form of diversity (neurodiversity) that should be recognized and respected. The current study examined how autism was portrayed in an influential US newspaper (The Washington Post) from 2007 to 2016. Later articles about autism were more likely to use words like neurodiversity, more likely to highlight strengths of autistic people, and more frequently described accommodations for autistic people. They also focused less on identifying causes of autism but continued to use negative terms and very few articles contained the perspectives of autistic individuals themselves. Although some progress seems to have been made in the portrayal of autism, there is still room for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite there being much research on students with more visible disabilities, this is not the case with students with invisible disabilities such as psychosocial disabilities – especially in university postgraduate settings. Students with psychosocial disabilities have the decision to disclose their status to their research supervisors and this has implications on their relationship. This was a qualitative study interviewing 15 postgraduate students, from two universities in the Western Cape, South Africa, with diagnosed psychological disabilities and who are being supervised by university staff members. Issues of disclosure about their psychosocial disabilities were explored. Nine out of the 15 (60%) respondents disclosed their disability to their supervisor. Discussion of the responses of participants in terms of reasons for not disclosing, positive consequences of disclosing and negative consequences of disclosing are explored. It is argued that this complex issue needs to be addressed on three levels: individual, staff and university levels. The decision to disclose a mental illness is complex in that there are positive and negative consequences to disclosure depending on the context Disclosure issues need to be addressed on three levels - individual, staff and university. On the individual level it needs to be clear that individuals have a choice to disclose or not and that a one-size-fits all approach in disclosure is not applicable. On the staff level it is encouraged that coping skills of supervisors be developed while on the university level it is believed a cultural change to disability needs to be addressed. These research findings can begin to inform policy and initiate practical change in the supervision process of students with psychosocial disabilities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Audio description is in its infancy in China, both in terms of the provision of the service and as an academic object of study. This article provides a useful insight into what Chinese audio description users think of this access service and how they consume it. This information was gathered through two different questionnaires, mostly distributed in the city of Shanghai, although not exclusively. The results show what the profile of the audio description user is, how satisfied they are with the service that is currently available and their expectations for the future. Only after identifying the areas that matter to users the most can both science and industry contribute to guaranteeing their rights in the best possible way. Media accessibility, specifically audio description, is in its infancy in Mainland China as an academic object of study. This study contributes to start bridging this research gap. Regarding their access to information and culture, the voices of Chinese persons with sight loss are hardly heard. This is the first study that takes into consideration their opinion and experience with audio description. The results of this study have had a direct impact on how audio description is delivered in Shanghai. The comparison between China and Europe indicates where audio description in China is in relation to countries in which this access service has already come of age. The results of this study are key to developing audio description in Mainland China following the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' slogan: 'nothing about us without us'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space is a site where culture and body meet. It is a physical text of cultural constructions of the body that articulate personal, social and material functions and arrangements. The American DeafWorld consists of spaces where deaf and hard of hearing people are found. The geographies in the DeafWorld are the sites where different institutions create and imprint their ideologies, practices and properties pertaining to their sensory notions of the deaf body onto brick-andmortar spaces in the DeafWorld. Sensescape is proffered as a theoretical model to describe DeafWorld institutional geographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leisure pursuits of people with visual impairment is one of the under-researched concepts in disability discourse. Employing focus group discussions, this study explored the leisure pursuits of people with visual impairment. Their leisure pursuits include chatting, sleeping, listening to radio, meditation and watching television. The watching of television is traditionally considered unconventional for people with visual impairment; however, this was pursued for multiple reasons including as a form of resistance to traditional stereotypes on visual impairment as well as its educational and informative values. Reasons underlying their leisure pursuits include availability and accessibility, desire to obtain information and relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to explore how users experienced and managed personal assistance from family members who are employed as personal assistants. Seventeen users of personal assistance provided by one or several family members, often in combination with external personal assistants, participated. Thematic qualitative interviews were conducted. The participants were between 19 and 58 years old, and were living with various impairments: mobility, sensory and/or learning disabilities. The results showed that personal assistance from family members could both promote and be a barrier to disabled people's control over their own lives and participation in society. It became evident that the situation could have both advantages and disadvantages for both parties, which puts the focus on the interdependency between the participants and their family assistants. However, the results also points to a potential risk that the welfare state (re)passes its responsibilities back on to disabled people and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, children with disability lack basic services yet their voices are missing in the development agenda. This article reports on research to investigate the human rights needs and priorities of 89 children with disability aged 5–18 years in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. An accessible and inclusive research method was developed to enable children with diverse disabilities to communicate their own views via visual, audio and tactile means. Data were analysed in relation to the Articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, identifying a wide range of priority areas including recreation, leisure and cultural life; employment; home and family life; and education. It is proposed that policy and programme responses must take a holistic view of children and their needs, affirming but thinking beyond the importance of education, to address the complexity of the systemic disadvantage faced by children with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

People with a chronic condition tend to report poorer subjective well-being than people without. This article examines the dependence of the relationship on doing paid and voluntary work, and on macro-level labour market exclusion of people with and without chronic conditions. Data from the European Quality of Life Survey (2011–2012) of people aged between 25 and 65 are analysed using multilevel regression techniques. A chronic condition has a stronger negative effect on subjective well-being for persons who are economically inactive or who never engage in voluntary work. The importance of paid work, however, varies with national levels of labour exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are limited comparisons between the experience of disabled students in higher education and their non-disabled peers, particularly on practice placements. This article presents the results of such a comparison, across six professional disciplines in one UK university. The results revealed that both disabled and non-disabled students reported positive placement experiences and also similar difficulties. Such difficulties were exacerbated for some disabled students, however, including as a consequence of the attitudes of others to disability. Recommendations for practice are identified that aim to enhance the placement experience of all students and to remove barriers to access. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

People who have visual impairments exceed 250 million persons worldwide and represent an important cohort of museum visitors. However, they experience many constraints to participation in daily life. Few studies analyse the accessibility of museums to visitors with visual impairments, and many are confined to a single museum and to a small set of strategies for improving accessibility. This article aims to identify a broad set of strategies to increase the accessibility of museums to visitors with visual impairments and analyse the accessibility of museums in four European cities. Conclusions and implications for policy-makers and museum managers, designed to promote the creation of inclusive museums, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tourism, although a relevant part of the modern lifestyle in economically more developed countries, is even in these countries not accessible to all, with particular barriers existing for persons with disabilities. These barriers are not only physical, but also internal, cultural and social. Tourism and leisure have revealed many benefits for individuals with a disability, enhancing personal development, quality of life, recovery and contribution to social inclusion. This article discusses the potential of tourism for people with disability and presents the results of an exploratory study undertaken in Portugal aiming at a better understanding of this market and its profile, desires and constraints experienced when participating in holidays and leisure activities. This information should contribute to the debate on the potential contributions of tourism to improving social inclusion of persons with disability, while simultaneously permitting tourism providers to better integrate this group in their clientele. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Disabled people face increased risks of living in poverty largely due to lower incomes and extra resource requirements compared to non-disabled people. This study incorporated the social model of disability with an economic approach to costing to estimate the additional costs required by people with a physical impairment to achieve an adequate standard of living in New Zealand. Budgets estimating the additional equipment, modifications, transport, support and time required to achieve an adequate standard of living were developed and validated through focus groups with community members. The findings suggest that reducing barriers involves substantial costs ranging from NZ$645–$2,348 per week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health is a fundamental human right and if health care is to be universal and equitable it should not be less accessible to some sectors of society than to others. The objective of this study was to compare health outcomes and access to health care between persons living with disabilities and their non-disabled counterparts. The research was based on secondary data analysis of wave 1 of the National Income Dynamic Survey. Results from the study indicated that people with disabilities reported a higher incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, lower access to medical insurance and greater use of public health care than their non-disabled counterparts. In conclusion, the findings highlight the inequities in health outcomes and access to health services for people with disabilities and emphasise the need for disability-friendly health care policies that reduce barriers to accessing health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the positive impact of having a disabled child. The question addressed is whether the positive impacts reported by parents are better characterised as artefacts of stress-processing or transformational outcomes. A total of 538 parent-carers in Alberta, Canada completed a survey. Most parents reported benefits. Their reports were corroborated by measures of family cohesion and social support. Reported benefit had no observed stress-buffering effects. The findings suggest that reported benefits are not merely perceived for the sake of coping. These are better viewed as outcomes of a transformational life-learning process. When parent-carers report benefits, we should take them at their word. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the qualitative findings from a larger mixed methods study of the barriers and costs associated with disability in New Zealand. A social model of disability framework was integrated with an economic cost model using consensual budget standards to (1) identify key barriers disabled people experience in their everyday living and (2) develop consensus about the resources disabled people agree they require to reduce or remove them. Forty-nine people with physical, hearing, vision or intellectual impairment participated in a series of 8 impairment-based focus groups. The analysis identified inaccessible environments, negative attitudes, unreliable transportation and poor access to information as key barriers. However, lack of adequate and appropriate resources (e.g. equipment, modifications, support, transport and time) to address these barriers was the overarching obstacle to participation. The inclusion of time as both a barrier and a valuable resource is arguably the most important contribution of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregivers of disabled children face numerous challenges in meeting their child’s needs. Research on Zimbabwean caregivers of disabled children is limited. Yet the difficult socio-economic, political and institutional context is expected to complicate the caregiving task. This article examines the resources and caring strategies of female caregivers in Mutare, Zimbabwe, using a well-being framework. Through a mixed-methods approach, the data reveals that external support is extremely limited, particularly due to stigma and a weak state. Caregivers are mostly self-reliant and their strategies focus on enabling themselves to take care of their child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to examine the value of employment for people living with spinal cord injury in Norway. The main focus in the 31 interviews dealt with general perceptions of integration and participation. The value of employment was a major theme, primarily described by the participants in terms of personal and social identity in interaction with others, as a hegemonic social norm and a sense of moral obligation to contribute to society. The value of meaningful regular jobs – in contrast to government projects jobs or routine jobs – was emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting young disabled people at the transition to adulthood has long proved to be a challenging task. Young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have until recently died before they reached adulthood. Now they are living longer but with a corresponding lack of forethought about how they should be supported in adulthood. This study investigated in three regions of England what was happening for young men with DMD and how they were being supported. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 young men (aged 15+) with DMD and 58 other family members. The findings suggested that too many young men had finished education and training and were at home during the day without meaningful activity. In part, the complicated nature of shifting expectations across the life-course had made planning for an adult life with DMD very challenging. This could be exacerbated by problematic assumptions and stubborn barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]