Forum Introduction: The Intersection of Gender and Disability: An International Perspective

Abstract

We would like to welcome you to this special issue of the Review of Disability Studies. This issue focuses upon the intersection of gender and disability within a global perspective. Existing research tells us that disability often presents challenges and barriers to integration and quality of life. The social model of disability (Corker & French, 1999; Shakespeare 2006) assumes that disability is not inherent in the person, but is constructed by society in its failure to provide people with access and treat them with the same respect afforded persons without disabilities.