From Good Will to Civil Rights: Transforming Federal Disability Policy; Second Edition (Health, Society, and Policy) [Paperback]

Richard Scotch (Author), Richard K. Scotch (Author)

Book Description

Series: Health Society And Policy | Publication Date: July 22, 2001

Now that curb cuts, braille elevator buttons, and closed caption television are commonplace, many people assume that disabled people are now full participants in American society. This book tells a rather different story. It tells how America's disabled mobilized to effect sweeping changes in public policy, not once but twice, and it suggests that the struggle is not yet over. The first edition of "From Good Will to Civil Rights" traced the changes in federal disability policy, focusing on the development and implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.Richard K. Scotch's extensive interviews with policymakers, leaders of the disability rights movement, and other advocates, supplemented the sketchy official history of the legislation with the detailed, behind-the-scenes story, illuminating the role of the disability rights movement in shaping Section 504. Charting the shifts in policy and activist agendas through the 1990s, this new edition surveys the effects and disappointments associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, in the context of the continuing movement to secure full civil rights for disabled people. Richard K. Scotch is Professor of Sociology and Political Economy School of Social Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent case study of the enactment and implementation of Section 504...this book will interest students of the American public policy-making processes as well as those with a special interest in civil rights and disability policy." --Choice "This analysis...is almost certain to become a classic work in the literature that will eventually emerge in this field." --Harlan Hahn, Contemporary Sociology "The best thing about Scotch's book is that it shows why, despite the broad rights language of the legislation and its regulations, Section 504 exists in a vacuum, with this country still, for the most part, unconcerned about disability rights... Advocates should read Scotch's book... It's a good place to start on the future." --The Disability Rag

From the Publisher

An updated edition of the landmark book on disability policy

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press; 1 edition (July 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566398975
• ISBN-13: 978-1566398978
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,089,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Law > Specialties > Disability

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.