ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the changes in policy which have impacted on societal changes in attitudes towards disability, as well as the historical perspectives and definitions of disability which have created barriers in the past. It examines how those with disability have been empowered through inclusion with reference to social perspectives and, in particular, how media have constructed and influenced society's approaches through image based viewpoints. The chapter presents the research undertaken during the European Union-funded GUIDE Project to highlight the need to move international and European policy forward; definitions and terminology are major factors in developing this successfully. It discusses the rights of an individual as the aspiration to enable those with individual needs. Alison Lapper's story challenges government agendas and public definitions and highlights a conflict in attitudes between policy and practice. The definition of a person with particular physical requirements such as mobility needs is often developed using the approach of a medical model.
