How have disabled Americans been portrayed by the media through the years and how are images and the role of the handicapped changing? Jack Nelson and a series of experts in communication and the disabled offer an easy-to-read overview of key issues, continuing problems, new opportunities, and new technological tools. Professionals and teachers in communication, along with experts and general readers interested in public policy and social issues, will find this short study, with its illustrations, descriptions and lists of organizations and its bibliographical materials, a handy reference.

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is grounded in the human rights perspective. Like other civil rights legislation, the ADA is aimed at an oppressed group, persons with disabilities, who have been denied equal opportunities to participate in the larger society. As Pardeck makes clear, the goal of ADA, ending discrimination against people with disabilities in all facets of American life, is aligned with the philosophies and traditions of the social work profession. Pardeck provides a detailed overview and analysis of the ADA that will help professional social workers as well as students entering the field realize the full significance of the new rights and protections extended to people with disabilities. He also provides specific case studies and examples to illustrate the range of opportunities afforded the disabled and their advocates.

Historically, the diagnosis of deafness in a child has been closely associated with profound disability, including such typical outcomes as unmet potential and a life of isolation. A major shift away from this negative view has led to improved prospects for deaf children.

"Resilience in Deaf Children" emphasizes not only the capability of deaf individuals to withstand adversity, but also their positive adaptation through interactions with parents, peers, school, and community. In this engaging volume, leading researchers and professionals pay particular attention to such issues as attachment, self-concept, and social competence, which are crucial to the development of all young people. In addition, the volume offers strategies for family members, professionals, and others for promoting the well-being of deaf children and youth.

Coverage includes: Attachment formation among deaf infants and their primary caregivers.Deaf parents as sources of positive development and resilience for deaf infants.Enhancing resilience to mental health disorders in deaf school children.Strength-based guidelines for improving the developmental environments of deaf children and youth.Community cultural wealth and deaf adolescents' resilience.Self-efficacy in the management of anticipated work-family conflict as a resilience factor among young deaf adults.

"Resilience in Deaf Children" is essential reading for researchers, clinicians, and graduate students in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology as well as for allied researchers and professionals in such disciplines as school counseling, occupational therapy, and social work.

This volume points out how the increasing need for scientists in this country can be lessened by utilizing a long overlooked pool of scientific talent in those persons who are scientifically oriented but who happen to have physical or sensory disabilities. Robert A. Weisgerber argues that the main obstacle to the mainstreaming of the disabled is the reluctance of the nondisabled to offer opportunities and support. By speaking positively to the disabled concerning current recruitment efforts within the educational and the professional scientific communities, and to the public regarding the capability, energy, and competence of many disabled persons, this discussion aims to break down barriers.

An important part of the text is comprised of 21 success stories of college students and career scientists, all disabled yet highly motivated and excelling in their field. Together they can encourage other disabled persons to consider careers in the sciences, provide support for their families and teachers, and remind the caring public to view disabilities in their proper perspective. The technical results of the research conducted appear in the appendix, and suggestions for increasing opportunities for the disabled, educating the scientific profession about their qualifications, and improving relevant information services conclude the study.

A Deafblind writer and professor explores how the misrepresentation of disability in books, movies, and TV harms both the disabled community and everyone else. As a Deafblind woman with partial vision in one eye and bilateral hearing aids, Elsa Sjunneson lives at the crossroads of blindness and sight, hearing and deafness-much to the confusion of the world around her. While she cannot see well enough to operate without a guide dog or cane, she can see enough to know when someone is reacting to the visible signs of her blindness and can hear when they're whispering behind her back. And she certainly knows how wrong our one-size-fits-all definitions of disability can be. As a media studies professor, she's also seen the full range of blind and deaf portrayals on film, and here she deconstructs their impact, following common tropes through horror, romance, and everything in between. Part memoir, part cultural criticism, part history of the Deafblind experience, Being Seen explores how our cultural concept of disability is more myth than fact, and the damage it does to us all.

This book provides insight into the globally interlinked disability rights community and its political efforts today. By analysing what disability rights activism contributes to a global power apparatus of disability-related knowledge, it demonstrates how disability advocacy influences the way we categorise, classify, distribute, manipulate, and therefore transform knowledge. By unpacking the mutually constitutive relations between (practical) moral knowledge of international disability advocates and (formal) disability rights norms that are codified in international treaties such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the author shows that the disability rights movement is largely critical of statements that attempt to streamline it. At the same time, cross-cultural disability rights advocacy requires images of uniformity to stabilise its global legitimacy among international stakeholders and retain a common meta-code that visibly identifies its means and aims. As an epistemic community, disability rights advocates simultaneously rely on and contest the authority of international human rights infrastructure and its language. Proving that disability rights advocates contribute immensely to a global culture that standardises what is considered morally and legally 'right' and 'wrong', thereby shaping the human body and the body politic, this book will be of interest to all scholars and students of critical disability studies, sociology of knowledge, legal and linguistic anthropology, social inequality, and social movements.

Leading ethicist and pastoral theologian Brian Brock reflects on the challenge of disability, refuting widely held misconceptions and helping readers respond well to the pastoral implications of disability. Brock, the father of a child with special needs, weaves together theological commentary with narrative reflection, offering rich theological wisdom for shepherding people with disabilities. He shows pastors and ministers-in-training that thinking more closely and theologically about disability is a doorway into a more vibrant and welcoming church life for all Christians.

During the early nineteenth century, schools for the deaf appeared in the United States for the first time. These schools were committed to the use of the sign language to educate deaf students. Manual education made the growth of the deaf community possible, for it gathered deaf people together in sizable numbers for the first time in American history. It also fueled the emergence of Deaf culture, as the schools became agents of cultural transformations. Just as the Deaf community began to be recognized as a minority culture, in the 1850s, a powerful movement arose to undo it, namely oral education. Advocates of oral education, deeply influenced by the writings of public school pioneer Horace Mann, argued that deaf students should stop signing and should start speaking in the hope that the Deaf community would be abandoned, and its language and culture would vanish. In this revisionist history, Words Made Flesh explores the educational battles of the nineteenth century from both hearing and deaf points of view. It places the growth of the Deaf community at the heart of the story of deaf education and explains how the unexpected emergence of Deafness provoked the pedagogical battles that dominated the field of deaf education in the nineteenth century, and still reverberate today.

Written for health care administrators with little accounting or finance background, this book provides a readable, easily understood overview of health care finance. Hy fully discusses accounting concepts, working capital, rate setting, cost analysis, accounts receivable, revenue sources, and inventory management. The abundant use of figures facilitates the understanding of complex financial concepts such as the financial functions involved with implementing operational and capital budgets, managing different types of accounts, determining costs, and setting prices. The aim throughout is to acquaint readers with the concepts involved and enable them to communicate effectively with finance officials.

In addition to thorough coverage of health care finance issues, the book also deals with some functions not normally covered in texts on the subject. These include both a thorough exploration of various types of revenue sources and an explanation of techniques used to cut costs associated with inventories, thereby saving organizations money. Especially valuable are appendices which illustrate two different procedures for estimating volume--the heart of financial forecasting. Practicing health care administrators whose job requires financial proficiency as well as students with no financial training will find this book an indispensable resource.

The growing prominence of ecological and social systems perspectives in the child development and family studies fields is having a significant impact on the conceptualization and delivery of early intervention services. The exclusive focus on the handicapped or developmentally delayed child is gradually giving way to a much broader focus on the family as a system. The parent-child relationship is increasingly becoming a major intervention target. At the same time, the need to fine-tune intervention programs to respond to the unique needs of different etiological groups is being emphasized. This book brings together the conceptual and empirical work of a number of scholars whose current research is at the leading edge of these shifts.

The volume consists of an introductory overview of transitions occurring in the early intervention field, a six-chapter section dealing with current themes and conceptualizations of early intervention, and a four-chapter section focusing on international perspectives that describes influences on and noticeable trends in early intervention programming and research in several countries. This book by its nature has an international appeal--but perhaps more significantly it affords American researchers a unique opportunity to learn about the field of intervention as practiced in other lands. The volume is intended for researchers, graduate and senior undergraduate students, program developers and administrators in the early intervention field, and other human service professionals.

Caring for people with disabilities often becomes an all-encompassing responsibility for one or more family members. To manage the multifaceted demands, caregivers must possess strong multitasking skills, including the ability to assist with daily life tasks; provide emotional support; help with financial affairs; mediate and advocate with health care providers. Maintaining balance within their own lives can become incredibly challenging for caregivers. More often than not, providing care for family members or loved ones occurs at the expense of the caregivers' well-being. And for caregivers who themselves have disabilities, it further complicates matters.

"Multiple Dimensions of Caregiving and Disability" addresses concerns that have been long familiar to the caregiver population and examines the current state of family care for individuals with disabilities. With a lifespan perspective, this concise reference reviews the literature on specific problems of caregivers and explores which care strategies are effective, promising, or lacking in available resources and support interventions. Contributors also explore the more fluid and subjective aspects of caregiving, such as feelings, spirituality, and family roles. Suggestions for future policy improvements, particularly within the public health sector, are discussed as well.

Topics covered include:

Family dynamics and caregiving for people with disabilities.
Parent caregiving of children with disabilities.
Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and caregiving.
Educational, training, and support programs for caregivers.
Emerging technologies to aid caregivers.
Developing partnerships between caregivers and health care providers.

"Multiple Dimensions of Caregiving and Disability" is a must-have resource for researchers, scientist-practitioners, policy makers, and graduate students across such disciplines as clinical psychology, nursing, social work, public health, medicine, and social and education policy."

More than a century of research has sought to identify the causes of stuttering, describe its nature, and enhance its clinical treatment. By contrast, studies directly focused upon public and professional attitudes toward stuttering began in the 1970s. Recent work has taken this research to new levels, including the development of standard attitude measures; ad dressing the widely reported phenomena of teasing, bullying, and discrimination against people who stutter; and attempting to change public opinion toward stuttering to more accepting and sensitive levels. Stuttering Meets Stereotype, Stigma, and Discrimination: An Overview of Attitude Research is the only reference work to date devoted entirely to the topic of stuttering attitudes. It features comprehensive review chapters by St. Louis, Boyle and Blood, Gabel, Langevin, and Abdalla; an annotated bibliography by Hughes; and experimental studies by other seasoned and new researchers. The book leads the reader through a maze of research efforts, emerging with a clear understanding of the important issues involved and ideas of where to go next. Importantly, the evidence base for stuttering attitude research extends beyond research in this fluency disorder to such areas as mental illness, obesity, and race. Thus, although of interest primarily to those who work, interact, or oth erwise deal with stuttering, the book has potential for increasing under standing, ameliorating negative attitudes, and informing research on any of a host of other stigmatized conditions.

This international handbook is the first to analyze mental health policies systematically across a variety of both developed and developing countries. Mental health and public policy experts survey current policies, the public policy process, and critical issues in twenty countries that are representative of different problems. The work considers the treatment of the mentally ill and mentally retarded, mentally disordered offenses, questions of substance abuse, deinstitutionalization, funding, and consumer rights. This major reference, with its comprehensive and comparative survey, is designed for scholars, students, and professionals who deal with mental health and public policy issues.

Intellectual disability is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors. With the current limitations in curative treatment for intellectual disabilities, the rehabilitation and management of affected individuals remains a major factor in the management and treatment of symptoms and for the improvement of daily life. Developmental Challenges and Societal Issues for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities is a comprehensive academic resource that examines treatment and rehabilitation options for those who have intellectual disabilities and examines educational, vocational, and psychosocial needs that can improve quality of life for these individuals. Featuring a range of topics such as comorbidities, epidemiology, and stigma, this book is ideal for psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychiatric nurses, clinicians, special ed teachers, social workers, hospital administrators, mental health specialists, managers, academicians, rehabilitation centers, researchers, and students.

In this book, leading authors in the field discuss developments of Ambient Assisted Living. The contributions have been chosen and invited at the 7th AAL congress, Berlin. It presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. As the technological innovation raises also social issues, the book addresses micro and macro economical aspects of assistive systems and puts an additional emphasis on the ethical and legal discussion. The presentation is supported by real world examples and applications.

Changing attitudes and social behavior as well as rapid technological progress are having great impact on women's repreductive health care. In addition to addressing the clinical implications of these new issues, this volume provides a useful and concise text for practitioners of obstetrics and gynecology. Because it deals with the ubiquitous emotional aspects of reproductive health care it will also be of interest to nonspecialists and interested lay readers.

This collection provides a comprehensive insight into disabled children and youth in Nordic countries. It seeks to understand the experiences of children from their own perspectives and takes a multidisciplinary approach grounded in the new social studies of childhood and the Nordic relational approach to disability.

This book provides a unique insight into the challenges faced by people with learning disabilities trying to access mainstream health and social services and by the professionals who are trying to provide them. The combination of professional perspectives and viewpoints of people with learning disabilities themselves creates an authoritative explanation of why this group of people face the barriers they do. The contributors critique these barriers and also offer potential solutions to overcoming them. Personal reflections written by people with learning disablities on their experiences of accessing health and social care services Comprehensive coverage of policy in the four UK countries Comprehensive analysis by subject experts of practice in a range of areas, from acute health care through mental health to leisure and housing provision Accessible summaries at the end of each chapter including text for people with learning disablities

One of the greatest challenges facing modern global health is how to include the most marginalized and impoverished people in international efforts to promote social and economic development. In Disability and International Development disability rights are situated within the broader context of global health and the need for much greater inter-sector collaboration. Reports from a broad cross-section of low- and middle-income countries-locales as diverse as Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Kyrgyzstan, and Papua New Guinea-move beyond surface discussions of "what is working" and "what shows promise" to discuss political and governance contexts, the roles of disabled persons in research by outsiders, concurrent struggles (e.g., women's or children's rights), and instructive inroads made by community activists and national Disabled People's Organizations. The results are provocative, and offer new lenses for viewing both the issues and the populations they affect.

Each of the book's chapters spotlights a topic as representative of the enormity and immediacy of challenges to inclusive global health, including:

• The impact of international human rights law on domestic law and local traditions.
• The effect of failed states on the lives of people with disabilities.
• Empowerment and advocacy: disability organizations and movements.
• HIV/AIDS interventions with disabled persons.
• Assistive technologies in low-income countries.
• Strategies for improving the lives of children with disabilities.

Cross-disciplinary as well as cross-cultural, Disability and International Development will attract a wide audience of professionals in rehabilitation, social welfare and human rights; governmental and non-governmental organizations and disabled people's organizations; researchers and practitioners. It will also be relevant to those working in health and welfare administration, health policy, international aid and development, and human rights. In addition, graduate students in disability studies, public and global health and international development should find this an important guide to the future of these fields.

Teaching Music to Students with Autism provides a comprehensive study of the education of students with autism within the music classroom. The book is designed for music educators, music teacher educators, and all those who have an interest in the education of students with autism. The authors focus on the diagnosis of autism, advocating for students and music programs, and creating and maintaining a team approach when working with colleagues. A significant portion of the book is focused on understanding the communication, cognition, behavior, sensory, and socialization challenges inherent in working with students with autism. The authors suggest ways to structure classroom experiences and learning opportunities for all students. Vignettes and classroom snapshots from experienced teachers provide additional opportunities to transfer theory to real-life application.

While HIV spreads among people with severe mental illness for the same reasons it does in the general population, there are specific ways in which mental illness is associated with elevated HIV risk. Every mental health institution or program has to deal with the consequences of increased HIV rates, but until now there has been no single book that could tell them how to do so. AIDS and People with Severe Mental Illness covers the entire range of information essential for those who work with these patients: epidemiological, medical, psychological, legal, ethical, and policy issues are all examined by eminent authorities in those areas. Nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health administrators, forensic specialists, and others involved in the care of people with severe mental illness will find here exactly what they have been looking for: one handbook that can help them deal with the challenges the AIDS epidemic has set before them.