ePub Caravaggio by Sandra Forty in Arts-Photography

Description

TItis volume is the first effort to compile representative work in the emerging research area on the relationship of disability and physical environment since Barrier-Free Environments; edited by Michael Bednar; was published in 1977. Since that time; disability rights legislation like the Americans; with Disabilities Act in the United States; the worldwide growth of the independent-living moveshy; ment; rapid deinstitutionalization; and the maturation of functional assessment methodology have all had their impact on this research area. The impact has been most noticeable in two ways-fostering the integration of environmental varishy; ables in rehabilitation research and practice; and changing paradigms for environshy; mental interventions. As the contributions in this volume demonstrate; the relationship of disabilshy; ity and physical environment is no longer of interest primarily to designers and other professionals concerned with managing the resources of the built environshy; ment. The physical environment has always been recognized as an important variable affecting rehabilitation outcome. Until recently; however; concepts and tools were not available to measure its impact in clinical practic~ and outcomes research. In particular; lack of a theoretical foundation that integrated environshy; ment with the disablement process hampered development of both research and clinical methodology. Thus; the physical environment received little attention from the mainstream rehabilitation research community. However; this situation is changing rapidly.