The editors
Felicity Armstrong and Len Barton are both members of the Inclusive Educational Research Centre, Department of Educational Studies, University of Sheffield.

This book recognizes the importance of an informed cross-cultural understanding of the policies and practices of different societies within the field of disability, human rights and education. It represents an attempt to critically engage with issues arising from the historical and contemporary domination of portrayals of 'the western' as advanced, democratic and exemplary, in contrast to the construction of the 'rest of the world' as backward, primitive and inferior in these fundamental areas. How human rights are understood in different contexts is a key theme in this book. Importantly, some contributors raise questions about the value of a 'human rights' model across all societies. Other contributors see the struggle for human rights as at the heart of the struggle for an inclusive society. The implications for education arising from this debate are identified, and a series of questions are raised by each author for further reflection and discussion as well as providing a stimulus for developing future research.
Disability, Human Rights and Education is recommended reading for students and researchers interested in Disability Studies, inclusive education and social policy. It is also directly relevant to professionals and policy makers in the field seeking a greater understanding of cross-cultural perspectives.

Series editor's preface
Introduction
Disabled people's quest for social justice in Zimbabwe
Human rights and the struggle for inclusive education in Trinidad and Tobago
Headlights on full beam
disability and education in Hong Kong
Human rights and inclusive education in China
a Western perspective
Rights and disabilities in educational provisions in Pakistan and Bangladesh
roots, rhetoric, reality
Inclusive education
a piece in the equality puzzle
Disability, human rights and education
the United States
Special education and human rights in Australia
how do we know about disablement, and what does it mean for educators?
Educational opportunities and polysemic notions of equality in France
Experience-near perspectives on disabled people's rights
Equality and full participation for all?
school practices and special education/integration
Disability, human rights and education in Cyprus
Disability, human rights and education in Romania
Disability, human rights and education in England
Conclusion
Index.