Sect. 1. Perspectives from the editors. 1.1. The commonality of disability / Vic Finkelstein. 1.2. Disability, impairment or something in between? / Sally French. 1.3. Towards a psychology of disability / Vic Finkelstein and Sally French. 1.4. Disability: a social challenge or an administrative responsibility? / Vic Finkelstein. 1.5. What's so great about independence? / Sally French. 1.6. Disability and dependency: a creation of industrial societies? / Mike Oliver. 1.7. Re-defining disability: a challenge to research / Mike Oliver -- Sect. 2. In our own Image. 2.1. 'Can you see the rainbow?' The roots of denial / Sally French. 2.2. Acquired hearing loss: acquired oppression / Maggie Woolley. 2.3. Gender and disability / Jenny Morris. 2.4. Double oppression: an appropriate starting-point? / Ossie Stuart. 2.5. Prejudice / Jenny Morris. 2.6. Disabled people and 'normality' / Paul Abberley. 2.7. The tragedy principle: strategies for change in the representation of disabled people / David Hevey. 2.8. Broken arts and cultural repair: the role of culture in the empowerment of disabled people / Elspeth Morrison and Vic Finkelstein -- Sect. 3. Controlling lifestyles. 3.1. Striving for independence / Liz Briggs. 3.2. Housing, independent living and physically disabled people / Jenny Morris. 3.3. Integration and deaf people: the policy and power of enabling environments / Mairian Corker. 3.4. Taught helplessness? Or a say for disabled students in schools / John Swain. 3.5. Conductive education: if it wasn't so sad it would be funny / Mike Oliver. Conductive education: a rejoinder / Virginia Beardshaw. 3.6. Participation and control in day centres for young disabled people aged 16 to 30 years / Colin Barnes. 3.7. From Startrac to Leisure Choice: the first slow steps towards change / Marisa Lawton. 3.8. The dual experience of ageing with a disability / Gerry Zarb -- Sect. 4. In charge of support and help. 4.1. The crafting of good clients / Ken Davis. 4.2. Experiences of disabled health and caring professionals / Sally French. 4.3. Medical responsibilities to disabled people / John Harrison. 4.4. A social model in a medical world: the development of the integrated living team as part of the strategy for younger physically disabled people in North Derbyshire / Louise Silbum. 4.5. Setting a record straight / Sally French. 4.6. Do disabled people need counselling? / Joy Lenny. 4.7. Access to new technology in the employment of disabled people / Alan Roulstone. 4.8. A four-way stretch? The politics of disability and caring / Gillian Parker -- Sect. 5. Creating a society fit for all. 5.1. 'Talking to top people': some issues relating to the citizenship of people with learning difficulties / Jan Walmsley. 5.2. Discrimination, disability and welfare: from needs to rights / Mike Oliver and Colin Barnes. 5.3. Developments in the disabled people's movement / Frances Hasler. 5.4. On the movement / Ken Davis.