Encyclopedia of Disability

The Encyclopedia of Disability is an award-winning five-volume set from SAGE Reference, awarded Best Reference 2005 award from the Library Journal along with an Outstanding Award from the American Library Association's Booklist journal. It represents the first attempt to bring an authoritative reference resource to the many faces of disability. More than 500 world-renowned scholars have written over 1000 entries, in a clear, accessible style, with the desire to bring all students, researchers, and interested readers closer to the daily experience of disability. The first four volumes cover disability in an A to Z format, including a reader's guide, comprehensive bibliography and index. Volume five contains a wealth of primary source documents in the field of disability, everything from photographs to correspondence to excerpts from movie scripts and more. ** Sample entries are available to download from the resources section of the website - click on Sample Chapters & Resources to see more ** The Encyclopedia of Disability is a must-have reference for all academic libraries, large public libraries and any social science, medical, legal, or governmental reference collections. Non-governmental organizations, charitable foundations and law firms will also want to add this set to their collections. Senior Editors Jerome Bickenbach, Queen's University Scott Brown Dudley Childress, Northwestern University Medical School Joseph Flaherty, Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago Allen Heinemann, Northwestern University Tamar Heller, Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago Christopher Keys, Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago David Mitchell, Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago Trevor Parmenter, University of Sydney, Australia Mairian Scott-Hill, Marsh Hills Cottage Tom Shakespeare, University of Newcastle Sharon Snyder, Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago Henri-Jacques Stiker, Univeristy of Paris Key Themes Conditions Therapies Biographies//History Laws Policy Consumer Organizations//Advocacy Definition//Concepts Movement Ideology International Developing Countries//Cultural Differences Professional and Lay Cultures Interventions Prevention Identity and Representation Products//Technology//Assisted Devices Social Political Universal Design//Architecture //Physical Environment Outcomes//Efficacy Cross Cultural//Cross National Journals//Resources Gary L Albrecht is Professor of Public Health and of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

About the Author :
Gary L. Albrecht is a Fellow of the Royal Belgian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Extraordinary Guest Professor of Social Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium and Professor Emeritus of Public Health and of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  After receiving his Ph.D. from Emory University, he has served on the faculties of Emory University in Sociology and Psychiatry, Northwestern University in Sociology, Rehabilitation Medicine and the Kellogg School of Management and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in the School of Public Health and in the Department of Disability and Human Development.  Since retiring from the UIC in 2005, he divides his time between Europe and the United States.  He works in Boulder, Colorado and Brussels, Belgium.  He was recently a Scholar in Residence at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (MSH) in Paris, a visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, the University of Oxford and a Fellow in Residence at the Royal Flemish Academy of Science and Arts, Brussels

Review :
"The wide range of coverage distinguishes this particular set, which was designed “to bring current knowledge and experience with disability across a wide variety of places, conditions, and cultures to both the general reader and the specialist.” Editor Albrecht (University of Illinois at Chicago) and over 500 authors from around the world contributed the more than 800 entries...drawing in readers from a wide range of studies and interests and helping them to see disability in an entirely new way. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries." "In this impressive work, editor Albrecht (public health, disability & human development, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago) offers a multidisciplinary, multicultural look at a vast array of disability issues. More than 500 international scholars have contributed entries that span the globe and the centuries, from the Pleistocene era to the present. The first four volumes contain upward of 1000 A-to-Z entries, each ranging in length from one paragraph to ten pages and ending with a bibliography of texts and web sites. Among these entries are 200-plus biographies covering people of all regions and eras (e.g., Aesop, FDR). A readers guide in each volume groups the entries into 25 topical categories that not only cover well-known disability issues in the fields of law, education, medicine, economics, and social policy but also delve into the realms of the arts, religion, science, and philosophy. The fifth volume is composed of primary-source texts and images organized by historical period and from a variety of cultures. Bottom line: Reflects Albrecht′s commitment to giving readers not just facts and theories but a personal, lived perspective on disability. His work provides a holistic view of disability and addresses the social contributions of people with disabilities as well as the challenges they face. The only really comprehensive resource on disability; this is an important foundation for disability collections in any academic, public, or high school library." "This excellent comprehensive resource covers the world of disabilities from 2000 BCE to the present. This encyclopedia not only includes what one would expect to find, such as material describing disabilities, ethical issues, health care, and many other topics, but also passages from literature and information on the experience of disability in various countries around the world. The entries are signed and many include further readings, Web site, and conclusions. The multivolume set is well cross-referenced. It offers a little extra, including a section titled "Searching for and Evaluating Web Sites," written by a librarian. Summing Up: Highly recommended." "Each document is briefly introduced and noted in both the index and reader′s guide. Numerous illustrations demonstrate the depiction of disability in art and film. All in all, this encyclopedia demonstrates that the world of disability is almost as broad and as intriguing as the human condition itself. This excellent introduction will serve both academic and public libraries." "The editors of the Encyclopedia of Disability provide readers with a broad perspective on the experience of disability. This remarkable array of material is diverse from both a chronological and a cultural perspective. From the entries chronicling those who have influenced the disability rights movement to the basic definitions and description of issues fundamental to disability, the Encyclopedia of Disability proves to be a comprehensive resource."