This book examines how change in modern societies is affecting disabled people's lives, and how disabled people are acting to change the societies in which they live. It asks what we can learn about the nature of disabling societies from the life course experiences of disabled people.

The patterns of our lives, and the life course pathways that we follow, are influenced by many factors (from the global socio-economic context to unique aspects of our personal biography and embodied experience). Within this array, significant moments or turning points punctuate the lives of individuals and their generational cohorts. These moments may be historic events of national significance, local issues or personal encounters. Throughout our lives we also develop, and reproduce, shifting relationships of interdependence with other people – not only as individuals but also collectively, through our communities and states.

This book takes as its starting point the lived experiences of disabled people in a range of cultural contexts. The chapters vary considerably in their scope, from the individual and the personal to the political and the cross-national. The book offers an analysis of disability and generation in a changing world, including issues relevant to disabled people of all ages, in many societies.

The chapters include contributions from thirteen different countries across five continents, bringing together established and emerging writers, both disabled and non-disabled. The content provides a combination of theoretical analysis, policy issues and personal life stories.