Disability and Self-help: A Case Study of the Spinal Injuries Association

This paper provides an ‘insider’ view and suggests that organised self-help has a role to play in improving the quality of the lives of disabled people. Through a discussion of the work of the Spinal Injuries Associations, it shows the kinds of services that can be provided, controlled and run by disabled people themselves. Finally, it considers the implications of the self-help approach for the work of professionals and suggests that such an approach should be seen as complementary to medical and administrative approaches.