Paul Ramcharan – författare

With its spread of chapters covering key issues across the life cycle this text has established itself as the foundational primer for those studying the lived experiences of people with learning disabilities and their families, and outcomes achieved through services and support systems.

Recognising learning disability as a lifelong disability, this accessible book is structured around the life cycle. The second edition is refreshed and expanded to include seven new chapters, covering:

AetiologyBreaking news (about disability) and early interventionTransition to adulthood The sexual lives of women Employment Personalisation People with hidden identities

With contributions from respected figures from a range of disciplines, the book draws heavily upon multidisciplinary perspectives and is based on the latest research and evidence for practice. The text is informed by medical, social and legal models of learning disability, exploring how "learning disability" is produced, reproduced and understood.

Extensive use is made of real-life case studies, designed to bring theory, values, policy and practice to life. Narrative chapters describe, in the words of people with learning disabilities themselves, their lives and aspirations. They helpfully show readers the kinds of roles played by families, advocates and services in supporting people with learning disabilities. New exercises and questions have been added to encourage discussion and reflection on practice.

Learning Disability is core reading for students entering health and social care professions to work with people with learning disabilities. It is a compelling reference text for practitioners as it squarely addresses the challenges facing people with learning disability, their loved ones and the people supporting them.

Contributors Dawn Adams, Kathryn Almack, Dorothy Atkinson, Nigel Beail, Christine Bigby, Alison Brammer, Jacqui Brewster, Hilary Brown, Jennifer Clegg, Lesley Cogher, Helen Combes, Clare Connors, Bronach Crawley, Eric Emerson, Margaret Flynn, Linda Gething, Dan Goodley, Peter Goward, Gordon Grant, Chris Hatton, Sheila Hollins, Jane Hubert, Kelley Johnson, Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Heather McAlister, Michelle McCarthy, Alex McClimens, Roy McConkey, David McConnell, Keith McKinstrie, Fiona Mackenzie, Ghazala Mir, Ada Montgomery, Lesley Montisci, Elizabeth Murphy, Chris Oliver, Richard Parrott, Paul Ramcharan, Malcolm Richardson, Bronwyn Roberts, Philippa Russell, Kirsten Stalker, Martin Stevens, John Taylor, Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, Sally Twist, Jan Walmsley, Kate Woodcock

"The editors and contributors are to be congratulated on the production of a relevant and contemporary text that I have no hesitation in both endorsing and recommending to all involved in supporting and or caring for people with learning disabilities."

Professor Bob Gates, Project Leader - Learning Disabilities Workforce Development, NHS Education South Central, UK

"This is a seminal text for students and practitioners, researchers and policy makers."Associate Professor Keith R. McVilly, Deakin University, Australia

"If I were to personally recommend any book for budding or current learning disability professionals then this would be it."James Grainger, Student Nurse/Social Worker, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

"The book gives a true wealth of good practice scenarios that can only help practitioners be good at what they do and aspire to be."Lee Marshall, Student Nurse, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

Empowerment' is a very fashionable word with academics and service providers in the learning disability field, and this collection of views on empowerment will rightly attract readers, who perhaps wish to understand better what precisely it may mean, and how it can be translated into reality. Such readers will not be disappointed with this book, as it is full of many practical examples and a strongly led theoretical research for a useful model for the future. Many chapters serve to remind us of the actual concerns and circumstances of the lives of many people with learning disabilities in the UK today, which can be very far from the idealistic notions that underpin 'empowerment'. However, the book is certainly more than a practical manual, and both the editors and the chapter authors deal critically with the concept of empowerment. This results in a lively and exciting book, raising questions and provoking thought throughout.'- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities'This volume includes a number of contrasting chapters from a variety of contributors - researchers, practitioners and policy makers as well as people with learning disabilities themselves. As such it is an interesting mix of academic research, and autobiographical observation which will appeal to a wide readership, especially those concerned with policy making, service provision and state legislation.'- Aslib Book Guide'Sensibly, the book deals first with Empowerment in Informal Settings, moves on to Empowerment in Formal Settings and then concludes with an examination of Empowerment in Different Legal and Policy Contexts. The individual chapters were all interesting in their own right… I commend this book to you as a valuable update on views ranging from those of the academic to those with practical experience of the learning difficulty label.'- Registered Homes'…an interesting and important addition both to the literature on empowerment in social care and on learning disability developments.'- British Journal of Social Work'A valuable resource for the increasing number of professionals and students undergoing professional training… and will be of value to those seeking a greater understanding and knowledge about empowerment, in particular those issues around equality and citizenship for vulnerable people. The book is clearly written and accessible. It provokes thought and challenges ideas in a helpful way, providing a much needed focus on what empowerment for people with learning disabilities might look like and how practice in this area might develop. It should be widely used by educators, researchers and students.'- Issues in Social Work EducationIndividual acts of empowerment practice whether undertaken by service personnel, families or through efforts of people with learning disabilities themselves, are not sufficient to produce an empowered life. Empowerment in Everyday Life takes a unique 'bottom up' approach to empowerment by starting with an examination of the lives and relationships of people with learning disabilities, their families and friends. From these experiences, questions are then asked about how policy making, service provision and state legislation might be implemented in ways which would maximise self-determination, equality and the fight for citizenship by people with learning disabilities and to provide for an empowered life and lifestyle.The various voices heard in this book provide a spectrum of viewpoints relating to 'empowerment', a concept which has gained much attention, and generated a great deal of debate, in the past decade. The contributors include people with learning disabilities, self advocates, practitioners, academics, and a freelance trainer and consultant on social care.

This book offers an empowering approach to working with people with an acquired brain injury (ABI) based upon the views and perspectives of people with ABI themselves. Drawing upon Christine Durham's own ABI experience and Paul Ramcharan’s engagement in disability research over a quarter of a century, this volume gives voice to 36 participants with ABI, as well as carers and other professionals from both urban and rural areas. This unique perspective provides a long-needed, empathic alternative to the deficit-based model of ABI that dominates medical literature and existing rehabilitation models. In  Insight into Acquired Brain Injury, the authors use educational and learning principles together with Durham’s extensive archive of experiential data to offer a reframing of the nature and experience of ABI and relevant a set of practical, real-world tools for practitioners. These ready-to-adopt-and-adapt scripts, guided interviews, research checklists, thinking tools and other innovative techniques are designed to engage with people and colleagues about brain injury as a means of supporting them to feel and fare better. With compassion and first-hand awareness, Insight into Acquired Brain Injury provides a much-needed perspective that deepens current understanding and translates the complicated life-worlds of people living with ABI in order to motivate, empower and increase their participation.