Mark Sherry, alongside Terje Olsen, Janikke Solstad Vedeler and John Eriksen, has co-edited a new book entitled "Disability Hate Speech: Social, Cultural and Political Contexts."

This book, the first to specifically focus on disability hate speech, explains what disability hate speech is, why it is important, what laws regulate it (both online and in person) and how it is different from other forms of hate. Unfortunately, disability is often ignored or overlooked in academic, legal, political, and cultural analyses of the broader problem of hate speech. Its unique personal, ideological, economic, political and legal dimensions have not been recognized – until now. Disability hate speech is an everyday experience for many people, leaving terrible psycho-emotional scars. This book includes personal testimonies from victims discussing the personal impact of disability hate speech, explaining in detail how such hatred affects them. It also presents legal, historical, psychological, and cultural analyses, including the results of the first surveys and in-depth interviews ever conducted on this topic in some countries. This book makes a vital contribution to understanding disability hatred and prejudice, and will be of particular interest to those studying issues associated with hate speech, disability, psychology, law, and prejudice.

Part One is entitled "The nature of disability hate speech." It contains chapters called "Disability hate speech laws" by Mark Sherry and Louise Walker, "Disablist hate speech online" by Mark Sherry, and "Towards a conceptual and experiential understanding of disablist hate speech: Acceptance, harm, and resistance" by Leah Burch. Part Two is "The personal impact of disability hate speech" and it contains chapters the following chapters: "They think they can call me anything" by Armineh Soorenian, "Very bad bedside manner: Medical professionals and hate speech" by Sheri Wells-Jensen and Claire Wells-Jensen, "Everyday ableism and hate speech: A tale of three encounters in one day" by Damien Milton, and "Hate speech and dwarfism: The influence of cultural representations" by Erin Pritchard. Part Three is "Disabilist hate speech within a geopolitical context" and contains "Hate speech targeting Sami people with disabilities" by Line Melbøe and Hege Gjertsen, "Stereotypes fomenting hate: Perceptions, stigma, and real-world consequences for Africans with disabilities" by Mark P. Mostert, "Amputation of disability as hate speech pattern in Poland" by Beata Borowska-Beszta, "Disability under austerity: Do some forms of political rhetoric constitute disability hate speech?" by Lisa Davies, "Hate speech by carers: Exploring an Australian case" by Mark Sherry and Solomon Amoatey, "Hammerin’ Hank, (dis)ablism, racism, homophobia, and hate speech" by Stephen A. Rosenbaum, and "Hate speech as an expression of disablism: An examination of reported hate speech experiences and consequences" by Terje Olsen, Janikke Solstad Vedeler, and John Eriksen

Mark Sherry is Professor of Sociology at The University of Toledo, Terje Olsen is Research Director at Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research in Oslo, Norway, interests include welfare state issues, disability studies, youth research, marginalization, labour market participation, legal rights and access to justice for persons with disabilities. He is Editor-in-chief of the journal Nordic Welfare Research, Janikke Solstad Vedeler is a Senior Researcher at Norwegian Social Research at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University and at the Nordland Research Institute, and John Eriksen is Emeritus Researcher and formerly a Research Director at NOVA – Norwegian Social Research Institute, Oslo, Norway.