Includes bibliographical references and index.

From personal struggle to political understanding and back again -- Mobility impairment in a social context -- The social model : history, critique and response -- Unmet promises of disability law and policy (with Beth Omansky) -- Special education into the twenty-first century -- Disability and normalization : a critique -- The relevance of emancipatory research for policy development -- Disabling of enabling welfare : what next for disabled people? (with Colin Barnes) -- Disability politics and the disabled people's movement in Britain (with Vic Finkelstein) -- Disablement into the twenty-first century -- Personalizing the political and politicizing the personal.

"In this long awaited new edition Oliver draws on his own experiences to paint a vivid picture of both the practical challenges of disablement and the theoretical understandings of disability. This approachable text is core reading for social work, nursing, health and social care and social science students taking modules in disability"--Provided by publisher.