The most recent high-profile advocate for Americans with disabilities, actor Christopher Reeve, has highlighted for the public the economic and social costs of disability and the importance of rehabilitation. Enabling America is a major analysis of the field of rehabilitation science and engineering. The book explains how to achieve recognition for this evolving field of study, how to set priorities, and how to improve the organization and administration of the numerous federal research programs in this area.


The committee introduces the "enabling-disability process" model, which enhances the concepts of disability and rehabilitation, and reviews what is known and what research priorities are emerging in the areas of:




Pathology and impairment, including differences between children and adults.
Functional limitations—in a person's ability to eat or walk, for example.
Disability as the interaction between a person's pathologies, impairments, and functional limitations and the surrounding physical and social environments.


This landmark volume will be of special interest to anyone involved in rehabilitation science and engineering: federal policymakers, rehabilitation practitioners and administrators, researchers, and advocates for persons with disabilities.

Table of Contents


FRONT MATTER
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 INTRODUCTION
2 MAGNITUDE AND COST OF DISABILITY IN AMERICA
3 MODELS OF DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
4 PATHOLOGY AND IMPAIRMENT RESEARCH
5 FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
6 DISABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
7 RESEARCH ON THE ORGANIZATION, FINANCING, AND DELIVERY OF HEALTH SERVICES
8 TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
9 EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN REHABILITATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
10 ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF FEDERAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
11 OVERARCHING RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRIORITIES
REFERENCES
A Data Collection and Analysis
B Summary of Information Sources on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
C Taxonomy
D Committee and Staff Biographies
INDEX