Overview

Every few months there's a shocking news story about the sustained, and often fatal, abuse of a disabled person. It's easy to write off such cases as bullying that got out of hand, terrible criminal anomalies or regrettable failures of the care system, but in fact they point to a more uncomfortable and fundamental truth about how our society treats its most unequal citizens. In Scapegoat, Katharine Quarmby looks behind the headlines to trace the history of disability and our discomfort with disabled people, from Greek and Roman culture through the Industrial Revolution and the origins of Britain's asylum system to the eugenics movement and the Holocaust, the recent introduction of 'Ugly Laws' in the US and the grim effects of Britain's hapless 'community care' initiative. Quarmby also charts the modern disability rights movement from the veterans of WW2 and Vietnam to those still fighting for independent living, the end of segregation, and equal rights. Combining fascinating examples from history with tenacious investigation and powerful first person interviews, Scapegoat will change the way we think about disability - and how we treat disabled people.

Full Product Details

9781846273216

Table of Contents

Reviews

Legal scholars and activists will find [Scapegoat] helpful, informative, and compelling. --Library Journal

Author Information

Katharine Quarmby is a campaigning journalist and an award-winning film-maker, as well as an associate editor at Prospect magazine. She has worked as a producer on Panorama and Newsnight, news edited Disability Now, and written for the Economist, Sunday Times, Telegraph and Guardian. She was the first British journalist to investigate disability hate crime and her report for Scope, 'Getting Away with Murder', has revolutionised thinking about the issue. This is her first book for adults.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available