Claiming Disability

From public transportation and education to adequate access to buildings, the social impact of disability has been felt everywhere since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. And a remarkable groundswell of activism and critical literature has followed in this wake. Claiming Disability is the first comprehensive examination of Disability Studies as a field of inquiry. Disability Studies is not simply about the variations that exist in human behavior, appearance, functioning, sensory acuity, and cognitive processing but the meaning we make of those variations. With vivid imagery and numerous examples, Simi Linton explores the divisions society creates—the normal versus the pathological, the competent citizen versus the ward of the state. Map and manifesto, Claiming Disability overturns medicalized versions of disability and establishes disabled people and their allies as the rightful claimants to this territory.

If you are applying for disability insurance benefits in Canada, there is a good chance the insurance company will deny your claim, or stop payment of benefits, even if you are truthful and legitimately disabled. The insurance company's decision to approve or deny your claim is not based on the truth as you know it; rather, it is based on the information in their claim file. If the seriousness of your disability is not accurately explained in the claim file, then your claim will get denied. The key to winning disability benefits is to prepare a comprehensive application for disability benefits, which tells your full story and shows the seriousness of your disability. If you are like most people, your application will only include the bare minimum claim forms, and this will almost guarantee a denial of disability payments. With A Beginner's Guide To Disability Insurance Claims in Canada, you will learn the exact process top disability benefit lawyers use to prepare comprehensive applications and appeals.

Are you trying to figure out how the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability program works? Do you need to apply for benefits or appeal a denial? Do you want to know the secrets for maximizing your chances of success? The Beginner's Guide to CPP Disability helps you better navigate the CPP disability system, covering important topics as eligibility for benefits, how to apply, how claims are decided, how to prove your disability, common reasons for denial, how to appeal a claim denial, what happens after approval, and when to work with a representative. Given the legal requirements of the CPP disability claim process, it is possible to lose a winnable case if you send in the wrong evidence, do things that undermine your credibility or don't present a compelling story to the claim decision-makers. Written by a former occupational therapist turned disability lawyer, The Beginner's Guide to CPP Disability focuses on the practical things you must to do maximize your chances of success. Whether you are thinking of applying for CPP disability benefits, or are appealing a claim denial, this book is a must-have resource for navigating the system and approval process.

Linton (education foundations and counseling programs, Hunter College) focuses on the fact that the definition of disability is a matter of social debate and cultural construction. She argues that not only does disability studies deserve a place in curriculums, it is in fact central to the humanities. In the process of making this argument Linton discusses our divided society and the divided curriculum that mirrors it, applications of the discipline to the non-academic world, and the future scholarship that is needed. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book provides clear, practical advice on how to successfully file a financial claim to compensate for a disability in the workplace. It saves you time, money and needless fear that a claim will not qualify or be created properly in order to meet legal and employment standards and requirements.

Including people with disabilities fully into Canadian society, with the rights enjoyed by non-disabled people, requires a fundamental social transformation, not simply “fixing” some bodies. It requires deep changes in the attitudes, cultural images and policies that make people with disabilities invisible, set them aside, undermine or reject their contributions and value, and justifies their neglect, abuse and death. This shift involves the simple recognition and honouring of the dignity, autonomy and rights of all people, including those who experience disabilities. In the second edition of About Canada: Disability Rights, Deborah Stienstra explores the historical and current experiences of people with disabilities in Canada, as well as the policy and advocacy responses to these experiences. Stienstra demonstrates that disability rights enable people with disabilities to make decisions about their lives and future, claim rights on their own behalf, and participate actively in all areas of Canadian society. Disability rights can and does increase access to and inclusion in critical areas like education, employment, transportation, telecommunications and health care. Additionally, Stienstra identifies new approaches and practices, such as universal design, disability supports and income supports, that can transform Canadian society to be more inclusive and accommodating for everyone.

Despite the widespread belief that Canada is a country of liberty, equality, and inclusiveness, many persons with disabilities experience social exclusion and marginalization. In this book, twenty-four scholars from a variety of disciplines contend that achieving equality for the disabled is not fundamentally a question of medicine or health, nor is it an issue of sensitivity or compassion. Rather, it is a question of politics, and of power and powerlessness. This book argues that we need a new understanding of participatory citizenship that encompasses the disabled, new policies to respond to their needs, and a new vision of their entitlements.

Death is a certainty - disability is a random chance which most people try to ignore. Yet your chances of suffering a disability before age 65 are greater than your chances of dying before age 65. This book tells you how to prepare yourself, your family, friends, colleagues and clients, against the hazards of disability * and how to cope if disability strikes. Federal and provincial government plans, various insurance plans, private and public charitable foundations, all offer assistance to disabled Canadians who qualify. Make sure you understand what's out there in the event disability shakes your world....This book shows you how. Like an iceberg, disability is large and complex, with most of its reality hidden beneath the surface. The impact on individuals, family and friends, is enormous. The adaptations to it are often deep, far-reaching, and life-changing. Be prepared, then cope if a disability occurs. This book shows you how. For more information please visit the Hit By an Iceberg website at www.hitbyaniceberg.ca