Disability studies in human geography

Studies of disability have been rare in human geography until a recent blossoming of interest. In this article we review the expanding literature on disability, charting the process by which such studies have become newly significant in the field. Our initial focus is on physical disability after which we move on to issues around mental health and intellectual disability. In the concluding section we evaluate the significance of recent work on disability within human geography as a whole and suggest possible links to the growing literature on rights, social justice and ethics.