--
Perhaps this will be of interest to some.
Glenn Higgins
Because American Psychologist is running a little behind schedule, the April
issue just arrived in my mailbox.
It presents a special section on developments within disability and
rehabilitation science. As the lead article (by Constance Pledger of the
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) notes, there
has been a move away from an overly simplistic medical model toward a more
complex appreciation of the interaction between the individual and the
environment.
Pledger writes that the new "conceptual framework, similar to the Nagi
(1976) and IOM model (Brandt & Pope, 1997; Pope & Tarlov, 1991) of
disability, examines the relational nature of the disabling condition and
the environment. The focus is on functionality within a socio-ecological
context. A major thrust of this construct is that external factors (i.e.,
those beyond the body structures and functions) have the potential to
contribute to and shape the disability experience. 'This disability paradigm
maintains that disability is a product of the intersection of individual
characteristics (e.g., conditions or impairments, functional status, or
personal and socioeconomic qualities) and characteristics of the natural,
built, cultural, and social environments' (U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, NIDRR, 2000, p.
2)."
In the concluding article, Carol Gill, Don Kewman, and Ruth Brannon write:
"As people with disabilities mobilize to oppose discriminatory practices and
social exclusion, they, too, challenge psychology to consider the
sociopolitical foundations of their disadvantaged status. . . . [The new
framework is a] shift from viewing disability as a medical problem located
completely in the individual to viewing disability as a limitation produced
by the complex interaction between individual difference and the social
environment."
I'm listing the articles, authors, and contact information under my sig file
below.
Please feel free to forward this information to anyone who might be
interested.
Ken
Disability & Accessibility Information & Resources for Psychology:
<http://kspope.com/access/index.php>
"The only tired I was, was tired of giving in."
--Rosa Parks
5 Articles:
"Discourse on Disability & Rehabilitation Issues: Opportunities for
Psychology" by Constance Pledger [log in to unmask]
"Disability and Rehabilitation Research" by Richard Melia, Constance
Pledger, & Richard Wilson [no email given; correspondence & reprint
requests can be addressed to any of the 3 authors at National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington,
DC 20202-2572]
"An Integrative Conceptual Framework for Disability: New Directions for
Research" by Denise Tate & Constance Pledger [no email given; Denise Tate;
Dept of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; University of Michigan; 300
North Ingalls; Room N12A09; Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0491]
"Can Disability Studies & Psychology Join Hands?" by Rhoda Okin & Constance
Pledger [log in to unmask]
"Transforming Psychological Practice & Society: Policies That Reflect the
New Paradigm" by Carol Gill, Don Kewman, & Ruth Brannon [log in to unmask]
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