ABSTRACT
Disability Studies, whose origins go back to the late 1970s, and influenced by the disability movement, created new paradigms in which disability is looked at and interpreted. New ideas and practices had initially gained ground in Anglo-Saxon countries. The same trend has, over the past two decades, been seen emerging in Europe, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Finland and the Netherlands, in a number of African countries and in some Asian countries such as India, China and Japan. This changing frame of reference has laid the foundations for a different, spirituality driven attitude to be adopted by experts working in professions such as special education, social work, psychology and pastoral care. It has now become apparent that weakness can be turned into strength: disability is considered an opportunity for spiritual growth and character formation.
