Understanding Disability Discrimination Law through Geography

Book excerpt: Examining the UK Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in comparison to its counterparts in the USA and Australia, this book focuses on how it is being interpreted and acted upon in the context of higher education, a key area of national attention in the UK. It also evaluates this law in the context of the larger project of civil rights legislation and demonstrates that geography can be used to explain law and legal arguments by highlighting their subjectivity and by emphasizing the importance of place, specificity and context. While providing in-depth analysis of the effectiveness and scope of this significant legislation this book demonstrates the importance of geography in the application of law. It provides insights into the broader workings of UK anti-discrimination law, which are particularly relevant given the scrutiny of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the concerns about the effectiveness of legal tools in fighting discrimination. Finally, this book critiques liberal notions of legal subjectivity and medical definitions of disability which is topical given the current attention given to debates about identity politics.