UBC Press Disability Politics and Community Care book Paperback

Mark Priestley addresses the relationship between the politics of disability and community care policies. Guided by his direct work with representatives of the disabled people's movement, he argues that although the ideas behind social policy and practice have started to reflect values such as participation, integration and equality, the current policy and its implementation often undermine those goals. `Community care' still contributes to the view of disabled people as dependent and different, thus reinforcing their social exclusion and marginalisation.Disability Politics and Community Care encourages health and welfare professionals and policy makers to start working much more closely with disabled people themselves. Priestley argues that involving disabled people in the design and production of their own welfare will break down the disabling boundary between service `provider' and `user' and will result in the reality of integrated living. He presents practical suggestions for the changes necessary for the proposed reorganisation of service provision which will re-define direct work with disabled people.

Mark Priestley is a Research Fellow at the Disability Research Unit at Leeds University. He teaches disability studies and has published many articles, chapters and research reports in the field. He was formerly a lecturer in rehabilitation work with visually impaired people and an independent trainer with social services staff. His research has been informed and directed by the Derbyshire Coalition of Disabled People. He is the administrator of the international e-mail discussion list [email protected].