Research Guides: Writing 5: Rhetoric of Disability and Accessibility: General Resources in Disability Studies

Popular/Public Discourse

Finding popular sources and public opinion involves searching outside of the scholarly literature. It is therefore very important that you carefully evaluate your resources. Use the tools on the "Resource Assessment" page of this guide to vet sources from the list below:

YouTube: Look for interviews, news stories, documentaries, oral histories, and vlogs about your topic.
Social Media (incl. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc.): Look for creators using hashtags related to your topic.
Newspapers: While not considered "scholarly" resources, newspapers can be a great bridge between public opinion and scholarly research. You have free access to newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, etc. through the Dartmouth Library. For information about accessing these, see the Newspaper Research Guide.
Non-profit Organization Websites: Perform a Google search for organizations whose work addresses an aspect of your topic.

Scholarly Sources: Journals in Disability Studies

List of Journals in Disability Studies

Reference Books in Disability Studies

Keywords for Disability Studies by Rachel Adams (Editor); Benjamin Reiss (Editor); David Serlin (Editor)
ISBN: 1479839523

Publication Date: 2015-08-14

Introduces key terms, concepts, debates, and histories for Disability Studies. Each essay focuses on a distinct critical concept, including "ethics," "medicalization," "performance," "reproduction," "identity," and "stigma," among others. Although the essays recognize that "disability" is often used as an umbrella term, the contributors to the volume avoid treating individual disabilities as keywords, and instead interrogate concepts that encompass different components of the social and bodily experience of disability.
Handbook of Disability Studies by Gary L. Albrecht (Editor); Katherine Delores Seelman (Editor); Michael Bury (Editor)
ISBN: 0761916520

Publication Date: 2001-05-24
The Oxford Handbook of Disability History by Michael Rembis (Editor); Catherine J. Kudlick (Editor); Kim Nielsen (Editor)
ISBN: 0190234954

Publication Date: 2018-07-18
Encyclopedia of Human Services and Diversity by Linwood Cousins (Editor)
ISBN: 1452287481

Publication Date: 2014-09-23

600 entries, authored by key figures in the field, conclude with cross references and further readings. A Reader's Guide groups related articles within broad, thematic areas, such as aging, community mental health, family and child services, substance abuse, etc. A helpful Resource Guide guides students to classic books, journals, and web sites, and a glossary assists them with the terminology of the field.
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Disability by Adam Cureton (Editor); David Wasserman (Editor)
ISBN: 0190622873

Publication Date: 2020-06-23

Contents range from debates over the definition of disability to the challenges posed by disability for justice and dignity; from the relevance of disability for respect, other interpersonal attitudes, and intimate relationships to its significance for health policy, biotechnology, and human enhancement; from the ways that disability scholarship can enrich moral and political philosophy, to the importance of physical and intellectual disabilities for the philosophy of mind and action.

Databases

Annual Disability Statistics Compendium
The Compendium gathers the most recent national statistics on people with disabilities from various federal programs and agencies. The Compendium provides current statistics and time trends related to the prevalence of disabilities as well as key indicators on employment, health, community living, and other outcomes of importance in monitoring the well-being of individuals with disabilities. A series of tables are presented with counts and percentages of people with disabilities in various programs or policy relevant groups.