ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a single case study which explores the experience of living in rural Iceland as a disabled dairy farmer. It also presents a brief description of the research setting and discusses the research methods and the subsequent single case study analysis. The chapter contends that the rural or farming ethos as articulated by our research participant – of self-reliance, independence and solution-oriented practicality – while admirable values, nevertheless can be at odds in certain ways with the philosophy of independent living and the formulation of personal assistance advocated by the European disability rights movement. It suggests that there is still a critically important role to play for personal assistance schemes that do not necessarily have to contradict the farming ethos valued by the research participant. The urban focus of disability studies in Iceland is mirrored in disability studies in Europe and North America in general, as reflected in the literature.
