Politics, Disability and Social Inclusion: review

What becomes very clear through the analysis in these chapters is that the situation of people with disabilities within society will not be improved only by changes in attitudes or by the achievements of individuals. There is a need for ongoing structural and societal transformations to engage with structures and processes that marginalise people with disabilities.

Also evident through these chapters is the argument that issues such as disability need to be considered from a relational perspective. That is, there is a need to consider the relations between all members of society, and how those relations impact on the lives of all in society, rather than marginalising or isolating people with disabilities as separate from the rest of society.

What also clearly emerges from these chapters is that it has been the political and social struggles of people with disabilities themselves that has been critical to progressive political and policy changes.

At a theoretical level, the book makes a number of important contributions, providing a clear and well articulated set of propositions relating to dominant political and policy arguments in contemporary capitalist nations. The author is deeply critical of neo-liberalism and of the third way, arguing that they both have contributed to ongoing and rising inequalities.

Influenced by the work of Hugh Stretton, Marta Russell, Frank Stilwell and Moira Raynor, among others, the author proposes that a pragmatic form of social democracy is required to engage with inequality and injustice within society.

While the specific focus here is on inequality and injustice in the context of people with disabilities, it is clear that the arguments put forward resonate more broadly.

For Gibilisco, it is vital to recognise that a socially just society provides both materially and for social participation, and recognises that people exist in relational contexts. This in turn requires a strong state, but also recognition of the role that the market can play when regulated in accord with social need.

In the words of the author (p. 140), "[A] just society is one in which the deprivation of citizens is overcome. A just community does not assume that everyone has the same opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities; instead it ensures they are given every opportunity to do so".

Politics, Disability and Social Inclusion. People with different abilities in the 21^st Century, written by an important researcher and public intellectual, makes a significant contribution to our understandings of the interactions between politics, disability and social inclusion.

It is written in a clear and incisive manner, and the publishers have done an excellent job with the quality of the publication. As noted in the book’s cover materials, it will be "of interest to researchers in social and political sciences, and also to people interested in learning more about the experiences and political struggles of people with disabilities in contemporary societies and their influences on policy processes".

I would strongly recommend this book to these audiences, and more generally to readers interested in engaging with an author who is asking critical questions about what constitutes a just society.