Introduction

This introductory chapter sets the Southern Africa research agenda by redefining existing areas within the context of international multidisciplinary research, highlighting emerging areas and providing students and practitioners with guidance (and ideas) for future research activities. The introductory chapter outlines the rationale and structure of the handbook. It emphasises the importance of inclusive sustainable development and how various authors bring together a wide range of diverse research evidence and personal southern African experiences, thus making this handbook an asset for the disability and sustainable development agenda, with implications for policy and practice. Therefore, a short commentary for each section of the handbook points to the distinctiveness of the chapters. It also highlights the cross-cutting themes, which together inform the importance of inclusive sustainable development. This scene-setting introductory chapter provides a broad overview in order for readers to understand the structure of the handbook. Thus, section introductions are extraordinary opportunities to make general observations about the field and to stress, rank order, or otherwise analyse various perspectives that are most important to understanding the subject matter at hand.