This paper considers the relevance of Pierre Bourdieu's conceptions of the body to the development of disability theory. We begin by discussing the limitations of reductive conceptions of disability. In so doing, we consider how far Bourdieu's (1990) concept of habitus offers a way of bringing an analysis of the body to bear upon an understanding of the social inequalities which are core to the lives of disabled people. Through focus groups with disabled people, the paper explores aspects of disabled people's corporeal identities, feelings, and (embodied) encounters in a range of social settings. The research shows that disabled people's lives are connected to different 'valuations' attributed to corporeal forms, and to systems of signification and representation which underpin them. We conclude by reaffirming the need to consider Bourdieu's ideas in helping in the development of disability theory.

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Introduction Outdoor parks and playgrounds are important sites of social inclusion in many urban communities. However, these playspaces are often inaccessible and unusable for many children with disabilities. This paper presents findings from a case study of one urban municipality in Ireland. The study aimed to understand play participation in five local playgrounds by exploring the perspectives of play providers and families with diverse abilities, through the lens of universal design. Methods Multiple qualitative methods were used, including playground audits, walk-and-talk observations, and semi-structured interviews. Four play providers, 12 children, and 10 adult users took part. Inductive analysis was conducted to understand the usability and accessibility of playgrounds from a universal design perspective. Findings These playgrounds provided high play value for younger children, but low play value for older children and those with disabilities, due to lack of accessibility or usability. While local authorities aimed to provide inclusive playgrounds, they lacked knowledge on universal design for playspaces. Conclusion Children with disabilities continue to experience exclusion in community playspaces, despite a commitment to inclusion in local authorities. Play providers need support to tailor principles of universal design to playground design. Occupational therapists are ideally situated to collaborate with local authorities on universal design for enhancing children’s play participation in community settings.

Geographers' interest in the subject of disability has traditionally been confined to particular parts of the discipline, and usually been of marginal interest to most academics. This has mirrored a broader antipathy to the study of disability in the social sciences although, in recent years, geographical scholarship about space, place and disability has proliferated. In this review article, we outline and assess the significance of this trend, and we comment on the importance of theoretical and methodological developments in the sub-discipline. In doing so, we anticipate the ways in which studies of geography and disability are likely to evolve.

Background:Little is known about day-to-day procedures in conducting predischarge home visits in occupational therapy. The aim of this study was to identify current practice in relation to people with stroke.Method: A questionnaire was designed and piloted; 184 were posted to stroke units in England.Results: Responses were analysed from 85 stroke units from 10 regions. The main reason for conducting visits was to 'assess or practise activities of daily living in the home environment' (93%), closely followed by to 'identify or address safety issues' (92%). Wide variations exist in time spent on the actual visit (range 10-135 minutes), with a mean time of 63 minutes (SD 20.36), and a mean time of 61 minutes (SD 33.13) for writing a report. Visits were generally conducted by an occupational therapist, with an occupational therapy/physiotherapy assistant. The majority (95%) of therapists reported having a home visit bag and the most common item included was incontinence pads (83%).Conclusion: This research has provided valuable information on, and highlights the variation in, day-to-day predischarge home assessment visits for patients after stroke. The next step must be to use this knowledge to evaluate patient selection and to examine the costs and effectiveness of such visits.