Disability Studies/Not Disability Studies

The growing interest in and increased visibility of the field of Disability Studies raises questions about the field's logical borders and valid dimensions. This essay looks to guiding principles from the field itself as the basis for delineating a robust liberal arts-based inquiry into disability, distinct from traditional interventionist models. The former is described in this essay as Disability Studies, the latter endeavor, in substance the medicalized applied fields and special education, is identified here as the Not Disability Studies. The essay begins with an overview of the problems found in the academic curriculum with respect to the study of disability, and proceeds to describe how the proposed liberal arts-based Disability Studies can redress those problems.     

Doing Disability: Disability Formations in the Search for Work*

Disability theorists have spent much time discussing how disability is defined. The theoretical roots for these debates reside in the medical, structural, and minority models of disability. The medical model views disability as equivalent to a functional impairment; the minority model sees a lack of equal rights as a primary impediment to social equality between able and disabled populations; and the structural model looks to environmental factors as the cause of disability. While debates over how to define disability are informative, there is currently an insufficient amount of empirical research looking at how people come to identify themselves as having a disability. Rather than focus on how disability is (or should be) defined, herein we look at how disability identities are constructed as people search for work. We show that people's interactions with employers and employment agencies have important influences on how disability identities are constructed. We borrow from the “doing gender” and “racial formations” paradigms to introduce an interactive approach to looking at how disability identities are constructed. We introduce the concept of disability formation to highlight how disability identities are continually negotiated through interactions with employment agencies and employers. Our findings are based on focus groups with 58 people who self‐identified as having a disability and were working or searching for work.     

Language and Disability in Japan

Language relating to disability in the public arena has been a sensitive issue in Japan as elsewhere. Since the 1970s and 80s, major media organisations have replaced words considered derogatory with more acceptable equivalents; laws, statutes and other legal documents have likewise been revised. This article examines how the language used to portray people with disabilities has changed, how the changes came about and how they were received. The debate has largely been played out in four public spaces, which to some extent intersect and overlap: the media (both print and visual), the laws, literature and, increasingly now, the Internet. I argue that while the laws were rewritten primarily as the result of external international trends, such as the International Year of Disabled Persons, disability groups achieved media compliance mainly by exploiting the keen desire of Japanese media organisations to avoid public embarrassment resulting from vocal protests over infractions.     

Adjustment to Disability

Abstract

This article will focus on the biopsychosocial challenges encountered when an individual is disabled at an early age as well as when an individual acquires a disability later in life. Two case examples will focus on the adaptations/life choices that are necessary to adequately meet psycho/social/developmental needs and enhance individual self esteem. The case of Rita, a woman who lost her hearing at age two, highlights the importance of integrating a biopsychosocial approach to understand the multiple challenges and adaptations of individuals who are disabled at an early age. Laureen, a woman who acquired a spinal cord injury during her late teen years, described her struggles as a young adult adapting to a physical disability. Both cases highlight the importance of integrating an ecological/systems framework focusing on a biopsychosocial perspective, emphasizing the interrelationship between biological, psychological, social, technological, cultural and political factors.     

Implementing Disability Management

Summary

Disability management is a growing domain of practice and consultation for EAP professionals as organizations attempt to control escalating disability-related costs. It is defined as a systematic, cohesive, and goal-oriented approach that seeks to (a) minimize the impact that reduced functioning may have on an individual'S social and vocational roles and (b) maximize the health of employees in order to prevent disability or further deterioration when a disability is present. This paper reviews the essential components of disability management culled from the recent literature, highlighting how they should be implemented to achieve positive outcomes. Studies and data are presented that underscore the many benefits of implementing disability management for both organizations and disabled employees.