"Ronald Berger provides students with a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the key themes and controversies in disability studies. This innovative textbook: provides historical context, from ancient times to the present ; traces disability's impact throughout the life course ; gives prominence to the voices of people with disabilities ; explores popular culture's role in distorting ideas about disability ; addresses emerging ethical issues, such as the implications of genetic selection. Illustrating the profound consequences of differing conceptions of physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments, Berger provides a solid foundation for making sense of disability as a social phenomenon."--Publisher's website.