ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that disability needs to be understood within the settings in which it is experienced; recognizing that it is not a fixed attributable label, but one that is cultural, contextual and fluid. Through the Disability Discrimination Act have been provided with a precise definition of disability and this has been reinforced in subsequent acts: namely the presence of an impairment that has lasted for a year or more and which has a substantial effect on daily life. The Equality Act 2010 replicated the requirement for schools and LAs to carry out accessibility planning for disabled pupils. The UK policy landscape has changed quite dramatically over the last 20 years, with a possible high point expressed in the publication of Aiming High for Disabled Children in 2007 and We Are On the Way in 2008 published by the Welsh Assembly.
