The sixteenth edition of this long established directory brings together information on resources, products, and services for the very diverse group of people with disabilities. With 9,100 listings, the directory is organized into two major sections: Resources by General Categories and Resources by Specific Disability. The Table of Contents divides the sections into 33 unnumbered chapters that include support services from camps, associations, foundations, and government agencies as well as products such as toys and games, computers, clothing, and assistive devices. Each listing includes contact information such as address, phone and fax numbers, key personnel, Web site and e-mail information, and a brief description of the resource. Date of publication is not included and several of the print resources are quite dated. There is an extensive collection of 7,347 Web sites with accurate URLs. The current edition includes three indexes to easily access the listings: Disability and Subject Index, Entry Index, and Geographic Index.
Disability is generally defined as a physical or mental impairment with long-term consequences that substantially affects a person's ability to carry on activities of a normal life. It can therefore refer to many different disorders or conditions. This directory addresses disparate disability categories: Cognitive, Aging, Blind and Deaf, Visual, Hearing, Dexterity, Mobility, and Speech and Language. The compilation of these varied resources within one directory is the true value of this book. The volume of data and the convenience of a one-stop look-up make this a good addition to the reference shelf of medical and public libraries. Subject-specific Web sites and books may be more comprehensive and current in their coverage, but this directory is a good overall sourcebook appropriate for people living with disabilities.