Organizations composed entirely of persons with various disabilities have arisen in some 100 countries in the last decade, as a response to the realization that societies have been built up without their participation, and often in ways that make their participation difficult. Organizations of disabled peolpe therefore met in Singapore in 1981 to form Disabled Peoples' International. DPI is the first successful effort of disabled people to create a united voice at the international level, and it has been granted consultative status with the UN, Unesco and ILO. This book explores the antecedents of the DPI since 1945 and its history up to the present. It is based on interviews with those involved in the worldwide movement, and on reports, letters and documents written by disabled people. Diane Driedger is a non-disabled ally of the movement who has worked at the local and provincial levels with disabled people's groups in Canada and with DPI during its formation.