A review of Simi Linton (1998) claiming disability: knowledge and identity

Abstract

In Claiming disability: knowledge and identity, Simi Linton invites us to reconsider the meanings we give to disability and to elaborate more on their origins. She consistently demonstrates how society and academia take a narrow, devaluing construction of disability. This limited view affects our language and academic curriculum, and therefore serves to increase both marginalization and discrimination of persons with disabilities. Linton advocates a vision that she states as a new field of thought called Disability Studies. In my opinion, a more in depth and comprehensive incorporation and inclusion of research on disability studies in social sciences, society studies, and academic fields would definitely increase the role and effectiveness of society and academia in decreasing the gap between disabled and non-disabled, increasing the level of people’s awareness and perception of disability, and in providing a better understanding of disability across the cultures through the promotion of appropriate educational practices and behaviors.