Psychology of Disability, 2nd Edition

This book is intended to serve as a textbook or collateral reading source for students engaged in the study of the psychological aspects of disability, as well as a general resource for rehabilitation professionals in the full spectrum of allied health and vocational service disciplines. The material is presented in two parts. Part I labelled as “The Disability Experience” presents the psychological experience from the perspectives of people who have disabilities; the inner states and processes, the interpersonal situations and interactions, and the behavioral mechanisms and patterns that emerge. The eight chapters in the part chronicle both the objective and subjective experiences associated with being a disabled person in a handicapping world and how these affect the basic life functions of surviving, living, working, playing, and—for some at least—transcending both the disability and the more troubling aspects of the world. Part II, “Interventions”, is a response to the problems and sources of psychological pain. Transcending disability is much easier if basic survival and quality of life issues have been addressed by the society, so one fo the chapters deals with disability-relevant legislation and policy. The remaining chapters are devoted to intervention strategies used by psychologically trained professionals (for example, psychologists, rehabilitation counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, speech pathologists), other rehabilitation professionals (for example, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians), peer providers (for example, peer counselors), and social/behavioral scientists.