Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer has captured the history, politics, and evolution-indeed the soul-of the civil rights movement for people with disabilities. Readers of this book will come away with a comprehensive understanding of the discrimination facing people with disabilities and the hard fought struggles which have created legal protections for Americans who experience disability. -- Stephen L. Percy, director of Center for Urban Initiatives and Research & professor of political science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee The particular strength of Switzer's book is the scope of its examination of disability policy, incorporating concepts from policy analysis, social science, and disability studies, as well as contemporary and historical accounts. The book should be a useful resource for anyone interested in disability policy and the context within which it operates. -- Richard Scotch, professor of sociology and political economy, University of Texas at Dallas Jacqueline Switzer has written a comprehensive treatment of this nation's disability policy with a remarkable depth of understanding. Switzer's work is fresh, powerful. This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to know what disability policy is, what it does and does not do, and why. -- Kay Schriner, research professor, School of Social Work, University of Arkansas and founding editor of the Journal of Disability Policy Studies

"Freedom and Justice for all" is a phrase that can have a hollow ring for many members of the disability community in the United States. Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer gives us a comprehensive introduction to and overview of U.S. disability policy in all facets of society, including education, the workplace, and social integration. Disabled Rights provides an interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of the disability rights movement and assesses the creation and implementation, successes and failures of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by federal, state and local governments. Disabled Rights explains how people with disabilities have been treated from a social, legal, and political perspective in the United States. With an objective and straightforward approach, Switzer identifies the programs and laws that have been enacted in the past fifty years and how they have affected the lives of people with disabilities. She raises questions about Congressional intent in passing the ADA, the evolution and fragmentation of the disability rights movement, and the current status of disabled people in the U.S. Illustrating the shift of disability issues from a medical focus to civil rights, the author clearly defines the contemporary role of persons with disabilities in American culture, and comprehensively outlines the public and private programs designed to integrate disabled persons into society. She covers the law's provisions as they apply to private organizations and businesses and concludes with the most up-to-date coverage of recent Supreme Court decisions-especially since the 2000-2002 terms-that have profoundly influenced the implementation of the ADA and other disability policies. For activists as well as scholars, students, and practitioners in public policy and public administration, Switzer has written a compassionate, yet powerful book that demands attention from everyone interested in the battle for disability rights and equality in the United States.