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Research has the potential to be a powerful tool for the realisation of the rights of disabled people. However, antiquated research practices continue to marginalise disabled people by excluding them from research; inadequately remunerating them for participation in research; undertaking research that assumes difference; and not including their voice in the leadership design or implementation of research. This article builds on emancipatory, participatory and inclusive research methodologies to introduce a new human rights-based disability research methodology that presents a roadmap to overcome these problems and transform research into a means of rights realisation. It presents a protocol for the methodology that was created by the international Disability Human Rights Research Network. Finally, it explores many challenges that researchers may face when endeavouring to implement the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to discuss findings from an exploratory study in respect to the situation of disability research discourse in the Republic of the Philippines. We disseminate qualitative surveys to three key informants in The Philippines that we choose purposively. The three informants consist of a person with visual impairment, a person with speech impairment, and a person with mobility impairment. Responses from our informants reveal there exists a priority gap on disability research production between different stakeholders. We also learn that disability research produces benefits both in micro and macro contexts. Informants also claim to face barriers in accessing local disability research. Concerns are also being made in regards to emancipatory impact of local disability research as well as for competency and commitment by local researchers. We conclude this paper by stressing the importance of disability studies scholarship development in Southeast Asian region and aggressive effort is needed to merge the academic, political and public spheres to empower the disabled community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity participation of persons with disabilities might be enhanced by careful application of motor behavior research to instructional settings. However, it is argued that this research is not easily stated in terms that are useful to practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between theoretical research and practice, and to suggest research strategies that will translate findings into helpful information for instruction. A number of applied research strategies are proposed, intended to gradually move from laboratory-inspired problems to issues applicable in typical instructional settings. These strategies include a clear conceptual rationale for including people with disabilities in the research, task modifications, a powerful initial study, replications, investigating interactions, conducting comparative studies, modifying the unit of analysis, generalization, and instructional considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the benefits of using theory-driven research in sport and exercise psychology using individuals with physical disabilities. The cognitively oriented theories of transactional stress and emotion (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), attributional theory (Weiner, 1985), and theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985) are outlined. Relevant research with individuals with physical disabilities is examined. The paper addresses how integrating these three theories with research with this population can stimulate research ideas, improve the generality of theories used in sport and exercise psychology, and provide meaningful knowledge about their experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the perceived barriers to oral health care for persons with disabilities living in Islamabad. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted at general community organizations in Islamabad providing services to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from Jan 2013 to Jun 2013 over a period of 6 months. Material and Methods: A total of 500 persons with disability who were dependent on someone to reach dental facilities were included in the study while those who were not dependent on someone were excluded from the study. A 12-item self-administered questionnaire was used. Patient's demographic data, type of disability and barriers to oral health care were recorded. Finally data was analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Results: Out of 400 respondents the most common disability was physical impairment (33.25%) followed by visual impairment (20.75%) and polio (14.75%). The major barriers to oral health care were transportation difficulty (48%) followed by high cost of dental treatment (39.5%) and inability to sit on dental chair /co-operate with dentist (31.25%). Conclusion: Significant barriers exist that limit the access to dental care for Person with Disabilities (PWDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that illnesses and injuries leading to restricted activity have adverse functional consequences, but whether the two components of restricted activity have comparable effects is unknown. We evaluated whether an illness/injury leading to bed rest represents a more potent exposure than one leading to cutting down on one's usual activities without bed rest.Methods: We prospectively evaluated 754 community-living persons, 70+ years. Telephone interviews were completed monthly for >15 years to assess disability in four basic, five instrumental, and four mobility activities and to ascertain exposure to illnesses/injuries leading to cut down activities and bed rest, respectively. For each of the three functional domains, transitions between no disability, mild disability, and severe disability were evaluated each month.Results: For each domain, cut down activities and bed rest were significantly associated with at least one transition. The associations were consistently stronger, however, for bed rest than for cut down activities. Bed rest was a particularly potent exposure for transitions from no disability to severe disability, with hazard ratios as high as 8.94 (95% CI, 5.69-14.1) for the mobility activities, and for all transitions from severe disability (representing recovery), with hazard ratios as low as 0.25 (0.12-0.54) for the transition to no disability for the basic activities.Conclusions: In the setting of an illness/injury, bed rest was more strongly associated with a set of clinically meaningful transitions in functional status than cut down activities. Prompt medical attention may be warranted when an older person takes to bed because of an illness/injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how disability should be defined is fraught with political, ethical and philosophical complexities. The social model of disability, which posits that disability is socially and politically constructed and is characterised by systemic barriers, has enjoyed broad acceptance that is exemplified by the slow but steady progress in securing civil rights for persons with disabilities. Yet, there remains a palpable tension between disability studies scholars and activists and bioethicists. While philosophers and bioethicists should heed the theories developed from the standpoint of persons with disabilities, disability activists should acknowledge the possibility that philosophical theories about the basic reality of disease, illness, health, function and impairment offer a more steady foundation for social or political critiques of disability. I argue that naturalistic theories of function and dysfunction provide a valuable starting point to clarify questions about the broader concept of disability. A naturalist theory of function may serve as the core of the concept of disability and provide disability scholars and bioethicists alike a stronger set of arguments in analysing real or potential instances of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 245 rural men and women with physical disabilities were interviewed to assess their access to road transport. The overall level of access was poor for both the men and women with physical disabilities. Poor environmental conditions and terminal facilities, unfriendly vehicles and behavior of transport staff, and travel safety and security threats were the barriers that prevented them to access routes. The findings indicate that without having a clear understanding of the transport-accessibility challenges at transport-planning levels and adopting equities in practice, the promotion of disability rights in local transport would be impossible in developing societies like Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Disability is not just a health problem or attribute of individuals, but it reflects the problems individuals experience in their interaction with society and physical movements. Disabled persons remain neglected part of society and they also experience various barriers due to restriction of participation. Objectives: The aim was to assess the quality of life (QOL) of physically disabled persons, the impact of physical disability on activities of daily living (ADL) and to study the awareness about laws and facilities available for disabled persons. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community based study was conducted among 130 physical disabled persons who were selected using convenience sampling technique. The WHO BREF scale was used to assess QOL, while assessment of ADL was done using Barthel Index. Socio-demographic assessment was done using Udai Pareek scale. SPSS version 15.0 was used to analyze data. Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. As per guidelines physical, psychological, social, and environmental domain scores for WHO BREF scale were calculated. Results: Among the study participants, 36.2% had a disability from birth that is, congenital. The second common cause of disability was found to be postpolio residual paralysis as it was found among 26.2% respondents. Other causes found were stroke/paralysis and accidents, in 19.2% and 18.5% respondents, respectively. Activities such as transfer, mobility, and stair climbing showed greater impact of physical disability. It was found that 11.5% respondents required help in one of the ADL. QOL score was found to be low under the psychological domain reflecting on negative feelings, bodily image, appearance, spirituality, and self-esteem of respondents. Conclusion: Physical disability had affected social participation as well as marriage of the respondents. However, it was found that very few of them are aware about facilities provided under persons with disability act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents qualitative data taken from in-depth interviews with 25 long-term sickness benefits recipients in the north east of England, UK. A key theme emerging from the research is the importance of listening to the narratives of long-term sick and disabled benefits recipients, particularly in relation to the formation of policy responses and in terms of practice. The findings also illustrate how stigma associated with claiming benefits can deter people from accessing the support they need, leading to under-claiming and the risk of amplified financial strain and hardship. Further, the importance of evidence that emerges from research which focuses upon the lived experiences of sickness benefits recipients to provide evidence in the framing of disability and welfare policy is crucial. Lastly, the article discusses how the narratives presented have implications for social policy and practice, alongside the potential implications for sick and disabled people themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Population is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the statutory accident insurers developed an action plan running from 2012 to 2014. This should contribute to realization of this convention and to further branding the concept of the statutory accident insurance as social insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Aposta is the property of Aposta and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For the 54 million Americans living with disabilities, negative attitudes foster biased communication and barriers to social, political, and economic integration. Using self-reports of hearing-abled individuals (N = 234), this study takes an intergroup approach to explore factors surrounding attitudes toward communicative interactions with profoundly hearing impaired and deaf individuals (PHIDIs). Findings confirm the intergroup contact hypothesis (Allport, 1954) in this particular context while introducing social dominance as a construct of great utility to intergroup theorizing. Attitudes were less negative for hearing individuals with less intergroup anxiety, lower social dominance orientation, and more communication contact with profoundly hearing impaired/deaf individuals. Finally, differences among communication, cognition, and attitudes were assessed in terms of biological sex and the decision to enroll in a Manual Communication course. The results of these analyses indicate that males are higher in social dominance orientation, and that females and individuals enrolled in Manual Communication courses have more positive attitudes toward PHIDIs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Disability has been pathologized by medical knowledge focused on the biological body as an object of rehabilitation with nonmedical knowledge that manage standardization. Based on the reflexiveness, the article proposes interactions between social critical studies before applying the expertise, in order to situate the representation and knowledge production from the perspective of social studies of science, technology and medicine, and from the experiences, to revive discussions opened by postcolonial and feminist studies. As a result, epistemic distancing questions the ways of doing research and thinking / understanding the socio-political reality experienced by women and men with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study provided that people with multiple disabilities can have a collaborative working chance in computer operations through an Enhanced Multiple Cursor Dynamic Pointing Assistive Program (EMCDPAP, a new kind of software that replaces the standard mouse driver, changes a mouse wheel into a thumb/finger poke detector, and manages mouse actions). The study used an ABAB design to evaluate whether four people (two pairs) with multiple disabilities, who have very limited voluntary muscle control and cannot use a standard mouse, would be able to improve their collaborative pointing performance using their finger poke ability with a mouse wheel through EMCDPAP software. The data showed that both pairs of participants improved their collaborative pointing efficiency through the use of the EMCDPAP software during the intervention phase. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Attitudes toward individuals with disabilities are influenced by the amount of contact one has with such individuals. This research investigated if the relationship a person has with individuals with disabilities is associated with positive attitudes more so than mere contact with such individuals. Increased contact with friends with disabilities and activities with individuals with disabilities were associated with more positive altitudes. Contact with relatives and classmates with a disability was not associated with more positive attitudes. Age and gender were found to moderate these relationships. Contact with friends with disabilities increased positive attitudes for younger but not older participants. Contact with classmates with disabilities decreased positive attitudes for males but not females. This research can help us better understand disability-related bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to examine perception-based intensity regulation's validity during handcycling exercise. Participants were people with injured spinal cord who then completed an exercise test and V̇O2peak test with the use of a hand bike. Two 20-minute exercise tests were conducted at an individualized power output (PO) at vigorous and moderate intensities. Participants were also instructed to produce a workload equal to the average RPE for the 20-minute imposed condition. The result showed that PO slightly increased on the moderate-intensity RPE-regulated trial but remained constant during the vigorous RPE-regulated trial. It says that the PO also tends to be slightly higher during the vigorous RPE-regulated trial.

The article presents a study which explores factors linked with a mental and behavioral disorder-related short-term disability episode versus physical disorder-related disability episode using administrative longitudinal data. In figuring the association between worker characteristics and various types of disability episodes, logistic regression models were used. The results show that a history of a previous disability episode is one of the critical factors associated with disability episode.

Objectives. We sought to identify the income-disability prevalence relationship among older Brazilians. Methods. Data were from 63985 individuals 60 years and older from the 1998 and 2003 Brazilian National Household Surveys. Generalized additive logistic models with cubic regression splines were used to estimate the disability-income relationships. Results. There was a strong linear relationship between increased income and reduced disability prevalence for most of the income distribution. Benefits were still present above the 90th percentile of income but were more modest. Because incomes among the wealthiest few are disproportionately large, odds ratios of disability nevertheless showed marked improvements, even across the very highest income groups. Conclusions. Among older Brazilians, reduced disability is associated with higher income, and these associations are present even above the 90th percentile of income. In addition to understanding mechanisms of disability reduction among impoverished individuals, work is needed to understand these mechanisms in middle-and high-income groups. (Am J Public Health. 2009;99:81-86. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.130708) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Substantial differences between disability and impairment are commonplace and puzzling. Subjective (psychosocial) factors may be paramount given that pain is a more important determinant of perceived overall arm-specific disability than is objective elbow impairment. To further evaluate the relationship between impairment and disability, we tested the hypothesis that objective loss of elbow motion predicts perceived elbow-related task-specific disability better than does pain after elbow trauma. Methods: One hundred and fifty-eight patients were evaluated at a median of twenty-six months after a traumatic elbow injury and completed the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Predictors of the total DASH score and of the scores for individual DASH items that were expected to be related to elbow function were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Motion accounted for 35% of the variability in the total DASH score, for 11% to 12% of the variability in the responses to questions specific to hand-based activities, and for 24% to 33% of the variability in the scores for tasks depending on elbow motion. Pain accounted for 41% of the variability in the total DASH score and was a better predictor than motion of disability associated with three tasks: opening a tightjar (with pain and motion accounting for 24% and 11% of the variability, respectively), pushing open a door (25% and 12%, respectively), and placing an object overhead (28% and 25%, respectively). None of the multivariate models explained more than 53% of the variability in the DASH scores. Conclusions: Objective physical elbow impairment correlated with self-reported disability with respect to specific tasks, but a large proportion of disability remains unexplained. Further research is needed to better understand the differences between objective impairment and perceived disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences that teenagers with physical disabilities have of their participation at school. Fourteen students from several locations in Norway aged between 13 and 18 years took part. Data were collected through focus-group interviews and individual interviews. The analysis revealed three main themes: Just like the others—but not quite; Participation in terms of being where things actually happen and; Participation as student-teacher cooperation. A major finding was the importance the students put on being where things actually happen, this being regarded as being even more important than doing the same activities as the other students. Opportunities to increase cooperation by holding short meetings with teachers on how to solve both practical and learning problems promoted participation. The need to include the individual's experience in the concept of participation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outcomes from a developmental instructional training course for youths with congenital physical disability have been investigated for the purpose of clarifying whether or not the participants' personal competencies in terms of living an independent life were developed and whether or not these competencies were maintained after termination of the project. In the course of the intervention, there was focus on user involvement and each participant defined his own occupational performance problems, articulated specific goals for the intervention and evaluated the results by means of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Eight young adults participated in the course from 16-26 months with a follow-up evaluation 10-20 months later. Changes in COPM scores on performance and satisfaction indicate that the participants developed personal competencies and that it was possible to maintain some of these competencies after completion of the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The idea that raising a child with disabilities has a negative impact on the parents’ relationship is still widely accepted despite contradictory research findings. This article addresses the impact of raising a child with disabilities on family structure in the present Norwegian context. Method Family demographics were collected at two stages during the childhood of children with physical, intellectual or multiple disabilities born 1993–1995 (1999, n = 603 and 2003, n = 489). These figures were compared with the corresponding data for all children (Statistics Norway, Children Statistics). Results The family structures of children with disabilities were fairly similar to those of the typical family. Slightly fewer children with disabilities had siblings and a higher proportion of the parents of children with disabilities were married or cohabiting. The type or degree of impairment was not found to have any impact on family structure. Conclusions The results suggest that family structure in families raising a child with a disability is similar to other families. Whether this should only be seen as positive is discussed, as is whether the disability may produce a stronger feeling of obligation to stay together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disability research is conducted within a highly politicised 'hotbed' of competing paradigms and principles. New researchers, who want to work within the social model, are soon faced with complex and challenging methodological and philosophical dilemmas. The social model advocates research agendas that are focused on the emancipation and empowerment of disabled people but, in reality, these are rarely achieved. To be successful researchers need to engage with innovative and creative methodologies and to share their experiences of these within environments that welcome challenge and debate. This paper focuses on Lifeworld and assesses its value as a tool for emancipatory research. Using examples from a study with parents, whose children were in the process of being labelled as having autism, the paper illustrates how the principles that 'underpin' the methodology offered a supportive framework for a novice researcher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research findings from a larger research project entitled "Finding our Way Home" which explored the narrative accounts of end-of-life transitions of 24 people with disabilities living in inner-city Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada as well as of 8 service providers with a special emphasis on their housing needs during these transitions. We suggest that end-of-life transitions for people with disabilities who live in Winnipeg's inner-city, especially those related to housing, are complicated by poverty, feelings of safety and security, the provision of appropriate supports and other life circumstances. End-of-life housing issues for these people have become issues related to home—creating, maintaining and going home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the positive and negative events experienced by parents with acquired physical disabilities is limited, and research on their children's experiences is even rarer. Thus, with this project the author merged stress-and-coping research with the social model of disability to develop two specifically tailored profiles of life events specific to the experiences of these family members. Fifty knowledgeable informants (parents with acquired disabilities, their spouses, their adolescent children, and professionals) were interviewed about the positive and negative aspects of being or living with a parent with a physical disability. From these discussions, the author identified samples of meaningful positive and negative events so that future researchers can examine the associations among the experiences of these events and adolescents' and parents' coping and adjustment as well as evaluate social policy to reduce barriers and create supports for parents with physical disabilities and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We outline a theoretical view of narrative inquiry as both phenomenon and method, and we explore the growth and development of narrative inquiry in the field of education. Drawing on research with participants labeled as developmentally disabled, we show how narrative inquiry can illuminate how disability is understood and lived out in social, cultural, and institutional narratives that shaped the lived and told stories of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance in physical activity among parents and youth with physical disabilities. Parent and youth pairs were divided into two groups based on the child's age (children: N = 123, age 9.15± 1.39 years; adolescents: N = 133, age 14.40± 1.83 years) and completed a modified version of the Canada Fitness Survey. There were no associations between parent and youth physical activities (children: r s = .17, p = .06; adolescents: r s = .09, p = .31), regardless of disabling condition. Additional research is needed to better understand familial influences of physical activity behavior in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 20% of US citizens are disabled. Epidemiologic studies have shown that people with physical disabilities have a 1.2- to 3.9-fold increase in obesity prevalence. Obesity is becoming a serious problem in disabled individuals. The mechanisms by which obesity occurs in people with physical disabilities is not clear, but pathophysiological changes of body composition and energy metabolism, physical inactivity, and muscle atrophy all favor the development of obesity. Health professionals should identify disabled patients at risk and provide early prevention guidance. Research is needed to help generate detailed clinical guidelines to promote weight control among people with physical disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to explore emancipatory disability research possibilities through the use of participatory action research and the cross-fertilisation of ideas between British disability studies (DS) and community psychology (CP). First, we consider the psychology in CP and suggest that it is far removed from mainstream psychology's pathological vision of disabled people. Second, we draw on Burrell and Morgan's (1979) model of paradigms to interrogate research practice in DS and CP. Third, we compare and contrast research narratives from DS and CP through reference to some examples of our own research. We argue that CP pays particular attention to the development of community selves and cultural identities within the participatory action research process: which we feel to be a key concern for the development of an emancipatory DS. We conclude that recognising the radical humanist element of participatory action research (PAR) permits us to navigate an enabling journey for disability research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of this article is the analysis of statistical data of the disability situation in Uzbekistan. The number of new registered people has been decreasing since 2000. On one hand the Government accepts various state programmes on population health care improving and the integration of disabled people into the society. On the other hand, authorities begin restrictive policy concerning disabled people. In the conditions of low living standards state pension has a vital importance for disabled people. Therefore, a number of those who can have it are falling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uganda has made much progress towards including disabled people in its mainstream development, particularly in the political agenda. The exact process by which this has been achieved and the relationship between this and international guidelines and legislation are not known. This study undertakes to examine this from two specific perspectives: (1) How do international documents relevant to disabled people relate to national legislation in Uganda? (2) What can this comparison, together with the perceptions of stakeholders, tell us about how the legislation and services could improve? International legislation and Ugandan legislation is reviewed and compared. Data from 5 semi-structured key informant interviews and 6 focus group discussions involving a total of 38 people are collected and analysed. The themes arising from the data are related to the documents, legislation, policies and other relevant literature. The results examine the barriers to service provision; the role of change; the importance of representation; policy and legislation issues; and the effects of devolution. Five specific findings relate to how legislation and services can improve: more resources to increase access for disabled people; strong leadership and collaboration between Disabled People's Organisations (DPOs) funding bodies and governments; awareness raising and training; representation from all impairment groups; and raising the profile of disabled people through further legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of violence during the 1990s, the number of persons who acquired a spinal cord injury as a result of gunshot trauma increased dramatically in the United States. This qualitative study examined disability, race, and contribution of peer-mentors to the development of identity. Six men with a violence-related spinal cord injury participated in a focus group. They were injured for at least two years, making positive gains in their lives, and training to become peer-mentors at a rehabilitation hospital. In addition, 16 men with a newly-acquired spinal cord injury from gunshot trauma participated in an individual interview. These sixteen participants were all mentees (or recipients) of the peer-mentor program. Principles of grounded theory were used to code and analyze data. Data converged on three main themes: (1) disability viewed as a wake-up call or blessing, (2) disability viewed as a turning point, and (3) disability viewed as identity transforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on methodological and practical issues surrounding research into disabled volunteers. It focuses on three key methodological and practical issues which were encountered by the author in preparing for and conducting fieldwork: difficulties in conceptualising disability for the purpose of the study; problems of access; and problems of reflexivity. Attention is also given to how the researcher responded to the problems and difficulties as they emerged throughout the research. The paper concludes by commenting that the overall commitment, social entrepreneurship and social advocacy of wheelchair users who volunteer is in stark contrast to the negative images of vulnerability and dependency often associated with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Physical performance measures can predict incident disability, but little research has assessed and compared how these measures predict progressive and rapid-onset (catastrophic) disability. The authors evaluated the ability of upper and lower extremity performance measures to predict progressive and catastrophic disability in activities of daily living (ADL), mobility, and upper extremity function. Methods. The incidence of progressive and catastrophic disability was assessed semiannually during a 3-year period in 884 women participating in the Women's Health and Aging Study I. Four-meter walking speed, balance, and chair stands tests were used to evaluate lower extremity function. The putting-on-blouse test, the Purdue pegboard test, and grip strength were used to assess upper extremity function. Summary performance scores (SPS) for the lower and upper extremities were calculated. Among participants in whom disability developed, those who reported no difficulty in the previous year were defined as cases of catastrophic disability, and those who previously reported little or some difficulty were considered to be cases of progressive disability. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of performance measures and time to incident disability. The predictive ability of performance measures was compared using receiver-operator characteristic curves. Results. All lower and upper extremity measures, with the exception of grip strength, significantly predicted the onset of progressive ADL disability, but only walking speed was significantly associated with the onset of catastrophic ADL disability. The chair stands test, walking speed, and the lower extremity SPS were significantly associated with the onset of both progressive and catastrophic mobility disability. Only lower extremity individual tests and SPS significantly predicted the onset of both progressive and catastrophic upper extremity disability. The... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the academy and the disability movement is a problematic one. Disability researchers based in the academic world who align themselves with the social model of disability face contradictory aims and values in attempting to challenge dominant modes of research production in ways that signify the importance of the agendas of disabled people. It could be argued that research that involves people with the label of 'learning difficulties' creates further points of contention. In this paper we do two things. First, we re-present a paper given at a conference on the performing arts of people with 'learning difficulties', where the audience was made up of performers, workers, providers and researchers. This paper attempted to be accessible, theoretical, political and practical. Secondly, we reflect upon this paper in relation to seven points of analysis that emerge at the boundaries of disability politics and disability research. We argue throughout that real efforts must be made to bridge these boundaries in ways that augment disability theory and politics together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-five disabled people with a range of physical, sensory and mental impairments were interviewed about (1) their experiences of research; (2) their general opinions concerning research; (3) whether they thought research had served/was serving disabled people well; (4) how research on disability should be conducted; (5) who should conduct research on disability; and, finally, (6) what they would like to be researched. In this paper, the results of aspects two to five are reported. It was found that the opinions of disabled people mirror quite strongly the recent arguments forwarded by disabled academics concerning the need for emancipatory and empowering research strategies. In particular, the respondents articulated a need for inclusive, action-based research strategies, where disabled people are involved as consultants and partners not just as research subjects, There were few arguments, however, for an exclusive approach, where disability research would be conducted solely by researchers who were themselves disabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, theorists have made use of the technology of the day to provide explanatory models of the behaviour they observe in order to provide an improved understanding of human behaviour. Bax (1998) describes the use of models of disability as not particularly helpful in relation to the treatment of children with physical disabilities. It is the purpose of this paper to show that models do have their place within disability research and the implications of using the medical and social models of disability, together with two models from developmental psychology, namely the transactional model and systems theory, will be discussed. It is argued by the authors that the usage of these models can aid understanding of disability in both research and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a review of several research studies on people who are orthopedically handicapped. Three research trends may be noted in the literature on the orthopedically handicapped during the period from 1941: a tendency to restrict investigations to fairly well-defined homogeneous groups of subjects, rather than studying general orthopedic populations; an upsurge of interest in the cerebral palsied; and an attempt to relate research projects to a frame of reference based upon psychological theory. The disabled person's problems on terms psychological field theory was interpreted by Meyerson. He pointed out the importance to the handicapped individual of the attitudes of the physically normal majority. Baker and Wright analyzed two important characteristics of the social psychological situation of handicapped individuals in connection with problems of rehabilitation.

The article provides a list of completed theses in the field of disability studies. It also provides the names of colleagues who are new entrants to the discipline. It presents the theses on the disability rights movement in Taiwan by Heng-hao Chang, analysis of the discourse and discursive devices used to represent learning disability in the stories told in the classroom to students by learning disability nurse teachers by Su Shaw, and disability and identity in South Africa from a human rights perspective by Martha M. Laclave.

Offers information on an oral history project titled "Speaking for Ourselves," initiated by national disability organization Scope in Great Britain in March 2006. Concept of the project; Scope of the project; Overview of the testimonies recorded and archived by the organization.

This article reports on a study completed by Hans Braun and Mathilde Niehaus, in connection with the Landesamtes für Jugen und Soziales Rheinland-Pfalz, on "Die soziale Situation schwerbehinderter Erwerbspersonen." The author cites the study as an excellent example for empirical life situation research and as socially-politically important for the rights of people with disabilities in West Germany.