Intellectual Disability in the Twentieth Century : Transnational Perspectives on People, Policy, and Practice

With contributions from distinguished authors in 14 countries across 5 continents, this book provides a unique transnational perspective on intellectual disability in the twentieth century. Each chapter outlines different policies and practices, and details real-life accounts from those living with intellectual disabilities to illustrate their impact of policies and practices on these people and their families.

Bringing together accounts of how intellectual disability was viewed, managed and experienced in countries across the globe, the book examines the origins and nature of contemporary attitudes, policy and practice and sheds light on the challenges of implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCPRD).

Professor Emeritus, Chapman University, USA

Research Associate, Tizard Centre, University of Kent

Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Centre for the Humanities, Athens, Greece

Jan Walmsley is a historian of intellectual disability and Visiting Chair in History of Learning Disability at The Open University. In 1994 she founded the Social History of Learning Disability Research Group at The Open University.

Simon Jarrett is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. He is a historian of intellectual disability and editor of Community Living magazine.