Accessibility Denied. Understanding Inaccessibility and Everyday Resistance to Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities

This book explores the societal resistance to accessibility for persons with disabilities and offers an example of how to study exclusion in a time of policies promising inclusion. It covers a wide range of topics within a cross-disciplinary field and takes a comprehensive approach to accessibility, with the main example being Sweden's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The book argues for the value of alternating between methods, theoretical perspectives, and datasets to explore how new arenas, resources, and technologies cause new accessibility concerns and possibilities for persons living with impairments.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the pervasive societal resistance to accessibility for individuals with disabilities, offering a valuable example of how to study exclusion in a time when numerous policies promise inclusion. Spanning 12 chapters organized into three parts, the book takes a holistic approach to accessibility, covering various aspects such as transport and communication, knowledge and education, law and organization. The topics addressed span a wide cross-disciplinary field, including disability studies, social work, sociology, ethnology, social anthropology, and history. The primary focus is on Sweden, where the book explores the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within the framework of the Nordic welfare state. By identifying and discussing persistent social and cultural conditions, as well as recurring situations and interactions that foster resistance to advancing accessibility, despite strong laws promoting it, the book's conclusions hold significant relevance beyond Sweden. It argues for the value of employing a combination of methods, theoretical perspectives, and datasets to explore how new arenas, resources, and technologies create new accessibility concerns and possibilities for individuals living with impairments. The book emphasizes the importance of closely following actors to understand their feelings, actions, and arguments, while also connecting to broader discursive and institutional patterns and systems.

This book will appeal to scholars and students specializing in disability studies, social work, sociology, ethnology, social anthropology, political science, and organization studies. Its insightful analysis and practical insights will contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing individuals with disabilities in today's society.

Weight: 352g
Dimension: 233 x 156 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367637309