ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the scholarly context and presents a literature review. It locates discussions about cultural participation in the context of contemporary debates within critical and cultural disability studies, which currently foreground the role of culture in the production of disability. The chapter draws upon studies from a range of disciplinary perspectives to provide context for the empirical findings to be presented in later chapters, showcasing how barriers to participation in culture are currently apprehended, albeit often from studies based on the perspective of a single impairment type or individual venue or set of venues. As this chapter illustrates, cultural participation of people with disabilities has attracted growing scholarly attention, which partially arises from the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and is consistent with a more general broadening of literature on disability. On the whole, existing literature has highlighted to varying degrees, the potential of cultural participation to facilitate expressions of identity of people with disabilities, and to challenge the devaluation of disability in society.
