The Politics of Physical Differences: Disability and Discrimination

Abstract

Although a “minority‐group” model has emerged to challenge the traditional dominance of the “functional‐limitations” paradigm for the study of disability, research on attitudes toward disabled people has not produced a theoretical orientation that reflects these developments. This paper proposes a new conceptual framework, based on the fundamental values of personal appearance and individual autonomy, for assessing the “aesthetic” and “existential” anxiety aroused by persons with disabilities. Investigations using this perspective might contribute to determining the attitudinal foundations of the competing models that are dividing research on disability.