Sharon N. Barnartt – författare

The first volume presents a collection of exciting papers exploring several new areas of disability research. The contributions include: examination of the media representation of disability and coverage of disability policy issues which gives an understanding of the far reaching impact of the fourth estate; an historical analysis of the correspondence between the identifier of Down syndrome and Darwin that lends insights into the development of interpretations of mental retardation particularly Down syndrome as a throwback to the more primitive nature of man; analysis of hospital discharge data which demonstrates that persons with chronic conditions and impairments are more likely than those without to need hospitalization for injuries resulting from violence; and an overview of voting behavior among persons with disabilities. Subsequent volumes will focus on specific subjects related to disability issues.

This volume of "Research in Social Science and Disability" focuses attention on the dual themes of theory and methodology that must form a basis for studies of impairment and disability. It addresses issues that include: critiques of current concepts of disability; the fit between sociological role theory and the concept of disability; the operationalization of different definitions of disability; conducting surveys with people with impairments; and, the reliability and utility of several qualitative research methodologies as applied to impairment and disability. Overall, the papers in this volume represent the beginning of a resurgence of interest in social science theories and methodologies within the study of impairment and disability.

The 1994-95 Disability Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-D) sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services provided a rich resource for the quantitative studies included in this volume. Nationally-epresentative surveys that focus on collecting more in depth information about persons with disabilities are rare, therefore these studies are unusual in the level of data they include and the important insights into disability issues that they provide. These come at a time when much more information about the experiences of disability is needed to inform policy and evaluate programmatic changes. The first paper of the volume discusses in detail the genesis and methodology of the NHIS-D. This volume contains a variety of different types of papers that add not only to our information about persons with disabilities, but also serve as a useful guide to using this extensive data set to address the numerous questions about this population. In the first section, two papers describing methodological issues in using the NHIS-D are described. This section includes a paper on response patterns and another on a strategy to overcome the problem of missing data. The next section contains three papers that use the NHIS-D to develop a variety of operational definitions of disability and then use those operational definitions to describe specific aspects of disability, including aging, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. The third section uses the NHIS-D to identify limitations and barriers experienced by persons with disabilities. Included in this group of papers are topics addressing barriers to work , mobility limitations and health care services, and unmet needs for support services among children.

Disability policy has become an increasingly important issue in countries around the world. More and more, as populations are exposed to war and civil conflicts, natural disasters, environmental poisons along with the effects of normal aging, accidents and poverty, disability has become a growing public health and civil rights problem. In order to develop reasonable policy solutions, countries need accurate, reliable estimates of the size and make up of their disabled population. Comparisons of policy solutions cross-nationally require that the data that is used as the basis for the policy decisions is comparable. At the same time that the world has determined an important need for data on populations with disability, the data that is available is still haphazard and not comparable. The UN has begun to address this need with a publication, the "Guidelines and Principles for the Development of Disability Statistics in 2001", and through the authorization of the formation of the Washington Group, an informal, temporary organization in the mode of a City Group. As a voluntary organization of National Statistical Office representatives, the purpose of the Washington Group is to address selected problems in statistical methods associated with the measurement of disability internationally. The papers in this volume reflect a sampling of the work done to this point by the Washington Group to address this important public health problem. The collection describes the background of disability measurement as the work of the group started from an international perspective and identifies other work being done in this area. It also provides snapshots of the data that is currently available and in use along with how the data is used in a variety of countries. Finally, a section on methodological issues identifies some insight as well as suggested solutions to key problems that will need to be addressed if the Group is to accomplish its task. This volume includes papers that examine the statistical problems associated with the measurement of disability internationally. It looks at country specific issues as well as overarching methodologies. It is an important contribution to disability and public policy.

Disability is often described in a way that suggests that it is a permanent and relatively stable state. Even when it is described as being socially constructed, the implication is that impairment leads to a permanent status of being 'disabled'. This volume argues that the relationship between impairment (physical state) and disability is neither fixed nor permanent but is fluid and not easily predicted. Furthermore, if this is true, we need to rethink how we are measuring disability. This volume attempts to reconceptualize disability not as static but a dynamic phenomenon which is related to social, cultural and historical contexts. It is part of the new social science emphasis on fluidity rather than stasis. The papers in the volume examine disability at all levels. Several look at micro-level interactional processes which shape physical conditions into disabilities or impairments into normality, some look at cultural differences over time in what constitutes disability and some look at how social processes and institutions create or deny the status of disability. The papers support the conceptualization of the fluidity of disability and have implications for its measurement.

Disability is often described in a way that suggests that it is a permanent and relatively stable state. Even when it is described as being socially constructed, the implication is that impairment leads to a permanent status of being ''disabled''. This volume argues that the relationship between impairment (physical state) and disability is neither fixed nor permanent but is fluid and not easily predicted. Furthermore, if this is true, we need to rethink how we are measuring disability. This volume attempts to reconceptualize disability not as static but a dynamic phenomenon which is related to social, cultural and historical contexts. It is part of the new social science emphasis on fluidity rather than stasis. The papers in the volume examine disability at all levels. Several look at micro-level interactional processes which shape physical conditions into disabilities or impairments into normality, some look at cultural differences over time in what constitutes disability and some look at how social processes and institutions create or deny the status of disability. The papers support the conceptualization of the fluidity of disability and have implications for its measurement.

Disability can be either an ascribed status or an achieved status and its combination with other statuses will affect the person's social experiences. The term intersectionality has been used most often to discuss the ways in which the dual and simultaneous statuses of 'black' and "female' exist as facets of social structure and culture, interact in both those spheres, and affect individuals in ways which neither one does separately. Little attention has been paid to disability in this context, despite the many parallels to race and gender. This volume challenges critical thinking about the interrelationships with disability. It questions if the concepts and methods of intersectionality can be applied to disability at all or if they can be applied in the same way. The authors debate whether different conception of intersectionality would fit the disability context better and if there are methodologies which could be used to examine it. A variety of empirical evidence about situations in which disability intersects with other roles are also examined.

Disability can be either an ascribed status or an achieved status and its combination with other statuses will affect the person''s social experiences. The term intersectionality has been used most often to discuss the ways in which the dual and simultaneous statuses of ''black'' and "female'' exist as facets of social structure and culture, interact in both those spheres, and affect individuals in ways which neither one does separately. Little attention has been paid to disability in this context, despite the many parallels to race and gender. This volume challenges critical thinking about the interrelationships with disability. It questions if the concepts and methods of intersectionality can be applied to disability at all or if they can be applied in the same way. The authors debate whether different conception of intersectionality would fit the disability context better and if there are methodologies which could be used to examine it. A variety of empirical evidence about situations in which disability intersects with other roles are also examined.

Physical structure, economic expectation or social relationship norms developed within various cultures can either restrict or support the participation of individuals with disabilities in society. The influence of environmental factors can vary significantly according to context, characteristics or by action difficulty. The objective of this volume is to identify and address environmental issues that support or restrict the participation of persons with functional limitations in society, either at the micro, meso or macro levels. The papers address both individual, societal, national and international levels of environment and shed new light on the processes involved with creating or modifying these environmental supports or barriers. Several papers approach the societal and intra-societal levels. The volume is separated into four parts; part one focuses on the larger disability environment from an international, national and community perspective, the second includes important theoretical and methodological approaches; section three highlights reviews of the environmental literature and the final section addresses personal experience with environmental barriers.

Physical structure, economic expectation or social relationship norms developed within various cultures can either restrict or support the participation of individuals with disabilities in society. The influence of environmental factors can vary significantly according to context, characteristics or by action difficulty. The objective of this volume is to identify and address environmental issues that support or restrict the participation of persons with functional limitations in society, either at the micro, meso or macro levels. The papers address both individual, societal, national and international levels of environment and shed new light on the processes involved with creating or modifying these environmental supports or barriers. Several papers approach the societal and intra-societal levels. The volume is separated into four parts; part one focuses on the larger disability environment from an international, national and community perspective, the second includes important theoretical and methodological approaches; section three highlights reviews of the environmental literature and the final section addresses personal experience with environmental barriers.

Current research in Sociology of Disability has a tendency to assume that very little written in this area until the last 20 years. However, this is not always the case. In part the lack of awareness of older writing occurs because of the ease of computerized searching for recent references or a sense that newer is better. It also reflects the assumption that Sociology as a field has ignored either disability as a social phenomenon or treated it solely as a medical phenomenon. While theorists and introductory textbooks have tended [and still tend] to ignore disability as a non-medical phenomenon and especially as a structured source of inequality, that does not mean that no attention was paid to disability in the earlier years. Rather, interest in disability from a sociological point of view exists as early as the late 1800s. The purpose of this volume is to explore that literature, with an eye towards encouraging current scholars not to ask “the same old” questions but to use the older writings as a basis for revolutionary as well as evolutionary thinking. What do the older writings tell us about what questions we should be asking, and what research we should be doing, today?