Exclusion vs. Integration? Social Treatment of Disability in Russia and Germany

The article argues in favour of a theoretically and empirically based comparison of societies according to their relationship to disability. If disability can be seen as a socially constructed category of negative evaluation of certain physical and mental characteristics, then the question raises, what are the impacts on how societies deal with disabled people. A comparison of disability policy development and of social attitudes towards disability and disabled people in Russia and Germany reveals a change in recognizing disabled people as equal citizens. But there are still crucial differences to what extent these changes are being implemented into society.