ABSTRACT
Keywords: Personal relationships, dialectical theory, relationship maintenance,
relationship remodeling
Scholars studying personal relationships have rightly pointed out that relationships are
central to happiness and also present people with some of the greatest challenges in life
(Duck & Wood, 1995). In this chapter, we highlight both the strengths and hazards of the
personal relationships of people who are disabled. Following a search of the literature
about the personal relationships of people who are disabled, we made two initial
observations. First, as has been seen in the past, there has been a relatively limited
amount of research focused on the communication of people with disabilities, especially
from their own perspective rather than the perspective of ablebodied people (Braithwaite,
1990, 1996; Braithwaite & Braithwaite 1997; see also Thompson, introduction, this
volume). Additionally, in the existing literature, people who are disabled are often
positioned as passive and reactive rather than as active participants in their own
communicative and relational encounters (Braithwaite, 1996). This is one area in which
this volume will help move forward understanding, research, and practice.
