Independent Futures
Creating User-Led Disability Services in a Disabling Society
Distributed for Policy Press at the University of Bristol
- Contents

List of figures and tables
Acknowledgements
Notes on the authors
1. Examining user-led services
Introduction
Re-thinking disability
Citizens, consumers and users
User-led organisations
Doing disability research
A notice on terminology
Overview of the book
2. Traditional approaches: disability policy and the welfare state
Introduction
Historical perspectives on disability policy
Disability and the welfare state: 1940s to 1970s
Moving to the community
Disability as a personal tragedy
Changing policy perspectives on disability since 1979
New Right
New Labour
Review
3. Disability activism and the struggle for independent living
Introduction
Towards a new disability politics
The Independent Living Movement
Disability activism in Britain
The social model of disability
Critiques of traditional community services
Building user-led services
Review
4. Researching user-led organizations
Introduction
Taking issue with ‘conventional’ disability research
Disability research with a social model perspective
Research gains
Accountability
Social and material relations of research production
Methodology and methods
The Creating Independent Futures study
Stage One
Stage Two
Stage Three
Stage Four
Review
5. User-led organizations: building an alternative approach
Introduction
From user consultation to user-led services
The growth of user-led services
Applying the social model of disability
Accountability and user control
Review
6. Service design and delivery: opportunities and constraints
Introduction
Delivering services in support of independent living
Service patterns
Service monitoring or control?
Resources: economic, physical and human
Funding
Location and premises
Paid staff and volunteers
Review
7. Service users’ views and experiences
Introduction
Views on mainstream services
Promoting user-led services
Accessing user-led services
Use of services
Wants and aspirations
Review
8. Politics and campaigning
Introduction
Politics: the local viewpoint
Campaigning issues and activities
Direction action
Empowerment and consciousness raising
Don’t upset the applecart
Review
9. Policy change or retrenchment?
Introduction
Dependence, independence or inclusion?
Professional dominance and new styles of working
Partnerships
Same old services: SOS or something else?
Review
10. Future directions
Introduction
Key themes and issues
Independent living: beyond ‘social care’
Equal worth: right to life and childhood disability
Work and employment
Physical environment
Implementation
Independent living in an inclusive society
Review
References
Index
Sociology: General Sociology
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