ABSTRACT
Disability policy refers to the creation and implementation of laws, entitlements and prohibitions, taxations strategies, and state actions that address issues and the needs of persons with disabilities and their families. The questions “what is disability” and “who qualifies as person with a disability” are predominant in disability policy discourses. As numerous conceptualizations of disability exist and as these concepts and models vary across time, place, and culture, policy responses to persons with disabilities are diverse. Even within a nation, underlying concepts of disability and disabled persons may differ, depending on the purpose of the specific policy the definition is attached to (e.g., employment and education, health). The purpose of this entry is to offer an insight into the contested, dynamic, and complex area of disability policy. It will be shown that, with the human rights approach, disability has gained increased visibility on the political agenda and the issues and needs of persons with disabilities will continue to be influential in public policy discourses.
