This book brings together formally disparate literatures and debates on disability and technology in a way that captures the complex interplay between the two. Drawing on disability studies, technology studies and clinical studies, the book argues that interdisciplinary insights together provide a more nuanced and less stylized picture of the benefits and barriers in disability and technology. Drawing on a breadth of empirical studies from across the globe, a picture emerges of the complex and multi-directional interplay of technology and disability. Technology is neither inherently enabling or disabling but fundamentally shaped by the social dynamics that shape their design, use and impact.

In today's rapidly changing technological world, it is increasingly important that web and desktop applications be accessible to everyone, including those of us with special needs. However, the legal requirements for accessibility are often convoluted and diffucult to understand, making it impossible for most developers to comply with the laws. In the first book on the market to address the topic, Author John Paul Mueller leads you through the maze of Section 508the congressional law ensuring that all Americans have access to information technologyand offers comprehensive guidance on how to quickly and easily update your applications to conform to Section 508 requirements.

To begin, Mueller outlines the Section 508 requirements that are relevant to web and desktop application developers, and explains the laws in language you can understand. Using extensive and varied program examples, Mueller continues on to teach you to write web and desktop applications that not only conform to Section 508 standards, but look forward to ensure long-term universal accessibility for all types of computer users. Specific topics include writing accessible web applications and desktop applications using Visual Basic .NET and Visual C# .NET, developing special application capabilities, using Microsoft and other third-party tools to develop accessible features, developing accessible scripting solutions, and more. The book even includes a directory of helpful organizations, agencies, and resources to help you with any further accessibility concerns you may have.

Covering a diverse range of figures and issues from Jonathan Swifts pornographic poetry to Oscar Wildes famous cello-shaped coat this book collapses Irish studies into the critical perspective of disability studies: linking 'Irishness' and 'disability' together allows the emergence of a new critical perspective, an Irish disability studies.

Many people find themselves without the experience or skills to deal with individuals with behaviour they do not like or find threatening. This much- needed new text provides insights and access to a range of therapeutic interventions. The book is divided into three sections. The first provides theoretical background, addresses legal and ethical issues, and raises questions about the language we use to describe behaviour we find difficult to understand. This is followed by the main part of the book and descriptions of seven different approaches and interventions. The third section of the book discusses the problematic nature of evidence for choosing particular interventions and therapies. Attractively presented, the book includes: case studies reader activities lists of resources, such as annotated bibliographies, addresses of organisations and website addresses This text will be of benefit to anyone working in health and social services, educational, and independent settings, as well as students, parents and carers. Written and edited by an interdisciplinary group of expert contributors, this book provides a unique resource that details a wide range of therapeutic interventions in one text.Accessible exploration of what constitutes behavioural distress Range of therapies covered includes arts therapies, gentle teaching, and behavioural interventionsUnique chapter on examining the evidence based for these therapies Colour plate sectionCase studies, reader activities and resource lists including web sites

'The body of Christ, broken for you.' These are the words almost always shared whenever the communion bread is given. But what do these words mean for women whose bodies have been broken by injustice and violence? This book interweaves feminist theological ideas, Asian spiritual traditions, and the witnesses of comfort women - sex-slaves during World War II - to offer a new approach to a theology of body. It examines the multi-layered meaning of the broken body of Christ from Christological, sacramental, and ecclesiological perspectives, and explores the centrality of body in theological discourse.

Comedy and humour have frequently played a key role in disabled people's lives, for better or for worse. Comedy has also played a crucial part in constructing cultural representations of disability and impairments, contributing to the formation and maintenance of cultural attitudes towards disabled people, and potentially shaping disabled people's images of themselves. As a complex and often polysemic form of communication, there is a need for greater understanding of the way we make meanings from comedy. This is the first book which explores the specific role of comedic film genres in representations of disability and impairment. Wilde argues that there is a need to explore different ways to synthesise Critical/Disability Studies with Film Studies approaches, and that a better understanding of genre conventions is necessary if we are to understand the conditions of possibility for new representational forms and challenges to ableism. After a discussion of the possibilities of a 'fusion' between Disability Studies and Film Studies, and a consideration of the relationships of comedy to disability, Wilde undertakes analysis of contemporary films from the romantic comedy, satire, and gross-out genres. Analysis is focused upon the place of disabled and non-disabled people in particular films, considering visual, audio, and narrative dimensions of representation and the ways they might shape the expectations of film audiences. This book is of particular value to those in Film and Media Studies, and Critical/Disability Studies, especially for those who are investigating more inclusive practices in cultural representation.

Nurses and others in the front-line(paramedics, ambulance staff, hospital and GP receptionists, social workers etc) are reporting an increasing incidence of violence and aggression from patients/clients. Some of these outbursts have resulted in permanent injury, even death, to the health care worker. The book is structured so that the notion of violence becomes more explicit with each succeeding chapter, until finally the violent outburst arrives. It offers practical prevention and management strategies, based on sound research, and provides a comprehensive view of the problem which will be of value to people working in a variety of clinical situations.Topical, vital subject Excellent mix of theory and practiceWide appeal to a variety of nurses and other professionals

This book addresses the development of our understanding of the abuse and neglect in the lives of children with disabilities. Disabilities in childhood uniquely dispose children for their abuse and neglect. Additionally, abuse and neglect dispose children for disabilities. The care and education of children with disabilities requires unique knowledge and skills and so does the consideration of their abuse and neglect. This book is based on data generated from an analysis of cases involving the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities as well as on an analysis of the data based literature in this area. Readers are provided with analysis and reflection exercises throughout the text so that they may analyze and reflect on their own awareness of the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities. Each chapter also contains a set of implications for research and practice. The final chapter focuses directly on prevention. Caregivers and professionals across disciplines will develop a new understanding of their roles in universal, secondary, and tertiary level prevention that is targeted, focused, data-based, and designed to prevent the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities in the first place.

This book presents the result of the MART study, an action funded under the TIDE (Technology Initiative for Disabled and Elderly People) programme of the EU. TIDE supports research and development in assistive technology with the aim of contributing to the quality of life of older people and people with disabilities and encouraging European industry and markets. The book provides the first complete assessment of the opportunities presented by the Information Society for Older People and people with disabilities in Europe, and of the factors in European telecommunications and in social developments that are facilitating or inhibiting access to these. It is being published at a time when these issues are becoming increasingly considered in EU and national policy, in the strategies of the telecommunications industry and in the concerns of representative user organisations. As the MART study finished in early 1996 and the European situation is changing rapidly, a chapter has been added by the authors to take account of more recent developments.

TItis volume is the first effort to compile representative work in the emerging research area on the relationship of disability and physical environment since Barrier-Free Environments, edited by Michael Bednar, was published in 1977. Since that time, disability rights legislation like the Americans, with Disabilities Act in the United States, the worldwide growth of the independent-living move ment, rapid deinstitutionalization, and the maturation of functional assessment methodology have all had their impact on this research area. The impact has been most noticeable in two ways-fostering the integration of environmental vari ables in rehabilitation research and practice, and changing paradigms for environ mental interventions. As the contributions in this volume demonstrate, the relationship of disabil ity and physical environment is no longer of interest primarily to designers and other professionals concerned with managing the resources of the built environ ment. The physical environment has always been recognized as an important variable affecting rehabilitation outcome. Until recently, however, concepts and tools were not available to measure its impact in clinical practic and outcomes research. In particular, lack of a theoretical foundation that integrated environ ment with the disablement process hampered development of both research and clinical methodology. Thus, the physical environment received little attention from the mainstream rehabilitation research community. However, this situation is changing rapidly."

Equal accessibility to public places and services is now required by law in many countries. In the case of the vision-impaired, it is often the use of specialised technology which can provide them with a fuller enjoyment of all the facilities of society from large scale meetings and public entertainments to the more personal level of reading a book or making music. In this volume the engineering and design principles and techniques used in assistive technology for blind and vision-impaired people are explained.

Features:

a [ instruction in the physiology of the human visual system and methods of measuring visual ability;

a [ explanation of many devices designed for every-day living in terms of generic electrical engineering principles;

a [ sections of practical projects and investigations which will give the reader ideas for student work and for self teaching;

a [ contributions by authors of international repute from divers fields which co-operate under the banner of assistive technology, among them: artificial vision systems; psychology, haptics, electrical engineering, design and visual physiology.

Assistive Technology for Vision-impaired and Blind People is an an effective means of maintaining the currency of knowledge for engineers and health workers working to provide devices and/or services for people with sight loss and an excellent source of reference for students working in assistive technology and rehabilitation.

The purpose of this book is to break a number of the conventions of research texts by writing an academic text on methodology as a case study of building case studies, one that cites classic works in the field and contains autobiographical considerations throughout its account, one that narrates the conscious process of designing a framework from the range of philosophies that were involved in chronicling this topic.

A much needed practical nursing text addressing the complex problems posed by the growing number of elderly people with mental health problems. The book can be used as an everyday companion for qualified nurses or for teaching health care assistants and students about practical interventions, therapeutic approaches and for developing knowledge and attitudes. Wider issues are considered, including the care continuum through acute to continuing care, and different care environments. * Practical advice for dealing with every-day problems * Examines common mental health problems in depth, to develop nurses' understanding of clients' needs * Positive approach, challenging stereotypical views and giving guidance for good care practices

The shift in the care of people with serious mental illness to community-based care has been the subject of intense policy, educational and research activity, yet the provision of effective services remains problematic. This book brings together experts from a range of disciplines to provide a comprehensive and contemporary account of community services. Section I: Contemporary Issues in Community Health Care Services provides an informed and critical overview of the effect of policy framework, organizational structures, economic issues and the principles of 'good' practice in the provision of community services for people with serious mental health problems. Section II: Specific Intervention strategies summarises much of the work to date on working effectively with people who have serious mental health problems. It combines research evidence and practical illustrations of approaches and interventions with informed comment on their efficacy and implementation in routine clinical practice. Chapters include key points, case studies, questions for reflection and discussion and suggested further reading. Relevant research and evidence is cited throughout and the need for further research in this area are emphasised. All students and practitioners involved in planning, providing and evaluating services for people who have serious mental health problems will find this book an invaluable source of information for developing and delivering effective services.Leading editors and contributors Multidisciplinary perspectives, includes contributions from nurses, social workers, OTs and clinical psychologistsEvidence-based First book to provide a comprehensive and practical overview of strategies for working in this areaFocuses on practice through case-studies

Disability and Music Performance examines discriminatory social practices in music conservatoria, orchestras, music festivals and music competitions, which limit disabled people's access to music performance at a professional level. Of particular interest are the disabling barriers that musicians with an intellectual, physical, sensory or neurological disability-or an acquired brain injury-encounter in the world of Western classical music, both as students and as professional performers. This book collects data in the form of semi-structured interviews and video and audio recordings to explore the voice, concerns and suggestions expressed by musicians with disabilities. It examines their perceptions of both inclusive and discriminatory practices in music institutions as well as the representation of, and audio-visual recordings by, key musical figures with disabilities. Its findings aim to contribute to the wellbeing of musicians with impairments by challenging disabling social practices that see them as inferior. This publication offers performers, teachers and researchers new perspectives for exploring some of the most common social dynamics in encounters between normative audiences, musicians and music critics, and musicians with disabilities. It invites the reader to recognise disability as a rightful identity category in music performance and to dismantle the disabling barriers that limit the participation of disabled people in music-making.

This is the first book-length study of Helen Keller's public speaking. It contains rhetorical analysis about how a person who was "sightless but seen, deaf but heard" learned to communicate, and how she gave public speeches for nearly 80 years inspiring others with her "vision for a better tomorrow." The analysis, texts of various speeches on a broad range of subjects, a chronology of her speeches, and bibliography will be helpful to students and teachers of speech and all those interested in Helen Keller.

This book proposes theoretical models and practical strategies for tackling the widespread social exclusion faced by people diagnosed mentally ill. Based primarily on research in the US and UK but with reference to other international examples, it analyses evidence of discrimination and the effectiveness of different remedies: disability discrimination law, work to re-frame media and cultural images, grassroots inclusion programmes, challenges to the 'nimby' factor. It places the growing user/survivor and disability movements as central to achieving any radical change.

One out of every seven working age African Americans has an impairment that affects functioning in activities of daily living. These statistics suggest that most African Americans are touched by disability. This book examines the psychosocial aspects of disability and chronic illness using a culturally congruent framework. Chapters address prevalance, health and rehabilitation utilization patterns, the role of culture, empirical research, and strategies for improving mental health and functional outcomes. This book will be useful to professionals who work with people with disabilities, policymakers, and consumers, as well as faculty and students in rehabilitation, health, and African American courses.

Disability and the Victorians brings together in one collection a range of topics, perspectives and experiences from the Victorian era that present a unique overview of the development and impact of attitudes and interventions towards those with impairments during this time. The collection also considers how the legacies of these actions can be seen to have continued throughout the twentieth century right up to the present day. Subjects addressed include deafness, blindness, language delay, substance dependency, imperialism and the representation of disabled characters in popular fiction. These varied topics illustrate how common themes can be found in how Victorian philanthropists and administrators responded to those under their care. Often character, morality and the chance to be restored to productivity and usefulness overrode medical need and this both influenced and reflected wider societal views of impairment and inability. -- .

Everyone can learn new or more effective coping skills and strategies to deal with times of loss, crisis, and disability. Being aware of possible options or of how others fare in coping with difficult situations is better than groping in the dark. It is hoped that the real life experiences and coping skills presented here will help others in dealing with similar issues and challenges.

This first person account of a clinical psychologist's work is a guide to the use of cognitive techniques with seriously mentally ill clients. Although it is written in nontechnical language accessible to the beginning therapist, it includes enough detailed material about the unusual thinking of seriously ill clients to expand the repertoire of the experienced therapist as well. It covers a wide range of possible applications--from individual sessions to alleviate the desperation of hospitalized patients, to the development of group preventive workshops and psychoeducational tools using interactive media.

This innovative and adventurous work, now in paperback, uses broadly feminist and postmodernist modes of analysis to explore what motivates damaging attitudes and practices towards disability. The book argues for the significance of the psycho-social imaginary and suggests a way forward in disability's queering of normative paradigms.

This book brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines to address critical perspectives on Chinese language social media, internationalizing the state of social media studies beyond the Anglophone paradigm. The collection focuses on the intersections between Chinese language social media and disability, celebrity, sexuality, interpersonal communication, charity, diaspora, public health, political activism and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The book is not only rich in its theoretical perspectives but also in its methodologies. Contributors use both qualitative and quantitative methods to study Chinese social media and its social-cultural-political implications, such as case studies, in-depth interviews, participatory observations, discourse analysis, content analysis and data mining.

Inspired by the author's personal experience of sustaining acquired brain injury (ABI), this path-breaking book explores the (re)construction of identity after ABI. It offers a way of understanding ABI through a social scientific lens, promoting an understanding that is generated through close engagement with the lives and experiences of ABI survivors. The author follows the everyday experiences of six male survivors and critically investigates their identity (re)construction after their ABI. As well as demonstrating identity (re)construction after ABI, the experiences of the participants allow the reader to investigate neurological rehabilitation from their perspective. This book suggests that rehabilitation after ABI is often a continual process that extends beyond the formal, medically prescribed period. It also shows that identity after ABI is often (re)constructed in an unpredictable way; a way that emphasises the importance of reciprocal support and the uncertainty of future life. A Sociological Approach to Acquired Brain Injury and Identity is essential reading for academics and students from a range of social scientific disciplines with an interest in biographical or ethnographic research methods. This book offers a social scientific view of rehabilitation and as such is also essential reading for academics, students and professionals with an interest in health and illness, particularly neurological rehabilitation and brain injury rehabilitation.