Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities: National and International Perspectives by Arie Rimmerman

Abstract

Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities: National and International Perspectives proposes a multifaceted approach to the topic of disability rights. Arie Rimmerman avoids the sole reliance on qualitative methods to analyse the social inclusion and exclusion of people with disabilities, differing from many existing studies that frequently relate only to access to adequate resources or conditions. This book also differs from the usual legal analysis of social inclusion and exclusion as a human rights issue, combined with the study of anti-discrimination or equal opportunity policies and legislation. Rimmerman not only uses both approaches, but also proposes an interpretation of historical and cultural roots of social exclusion of people with disabilities. This approach includes considering an in-depth view of expressions of stereotypes that are obstacles to implementation of the domestic and international policies and law. The central thesis of this book is that the traditional stereotypes of people with disabilities are still important for understanding the context of social inclusion, even if there is growing awareness of the new disability rights. The book provides a timely discussion about implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) that was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 December 2006. As of July 2015, it has 159 signatories and 157 parties, which makes it one of the most ratified treaties in the human rights system. This book is one of the first publications that attempts to comprehensively assess early impressions of the CRPD's impact. This book should be particularly interesting for students, scholars, and practitioners related to disability rights organizations, social policy, and social work. Rimmerman's work offers a clear framework of the relationship between the origin of negative stereotypes and their influence, including how they serve as obstacles to the