Working futures?: Disabled people, policy and social inclusion

Description

Working futures looks at the current effectiveness and future scope for enabling policy in the field of disability and employment. By addressing the current strengths and weaknesses of disability and employment policy, the book asks: Is the dichotomy of 'work for those who can and support for those who cannot' appropriate to the lives of disabled people? Does current and recent policy reduce or reinforce barriers to paid employment? What lessons from other welfare regimes can we draw on to further disabled peoples' working futures? The book is original in bringing together a wide range of policy insights to bear on the question of disabled peoples working futures. It includes analyses of recent policy initiatives as diverse as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Draft Disability Bill, the benefits system, New Deal for Disabled People, job retention policy, comparative disability policy, the role of the voluntary sector and 'new policies for a new workplace'. Contributions from academics, NGOs, the OECD and the disabled peoples' movement bring multiple theoretical, professional and user perspectives to the debates at the heart of the book. Working futures is aimed at academics and students in disability studies, policy and welfare studies and those working in the voluntary sector, employment organisations and at street-level with disabled people.

Dr Alan Roulstone is Director of Research in Social and Health Sciences and Reader in Disability Studies at the University of Sunderland. He has published widely on disability and employment policy and has significant experience of researching disability in institutional contexts. Alan identifies as a disabled person and has close links with the UK disabled peoples' movement. Professor Colin Barnes is Director of the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds. Colin has written extensively on disability and policy issues and is author of the seminal Disabled people in Britain and discrimination. He is a disabled person who has done much to transform social model ideas on disability into a reality.

"Working futures? is a welcome and much needed contribution to this crucial domain of disability studies. It is an excellent resource, providing an original text that should be drawn on by a wide audience within the social sciences." John Swain, School of Health, Community and Education Studies, University of Northumbria at Newcastle