The emergence of disability studies: current situation and future directions

Disability studies are an emerging field that has strong, interdisciplinary and academic roots but is equally shaped by social and political activity. The field is exciting because of the very interesting international debates and the controversies, which are not widely disseminated in France. This paper points to the growing attention given by research to disability in general and to the vitality of disability studies which aim to understand disability in a social, cultural and political context. The paper briefly describes the origins and history of disability studies and examines the theory, models and methods upon which the field is based in English-speaking countries. The paper reviews some of the current conceptual efforts, research activities, academic programs and interdisciplinary developments shaping disability studies and compares them to the French situation. The paper then explores the issue of who is qualified to conduct research in, and to teach, disability studies. Finally, the paper identifies and discusses the major tensions in disability studies and explores where the field is going.