Disability Rights and the American Social Safety Net

This is a solid academic study of one of the most important parts of American disability policy, Supplemental Security Income. SSI is the single largest disability program in people served and money spent, but aside from a 2013 NPR special report, it is substantially underrepresented. Erkulwater tracks the growth of SSI from an afterthought in the Great Society to a cornerstone of the social safety net, contrasting the realities of bureaucratic standardization against evolving medical knowledge, Rights based arguments, and longstanding American political conflicts over care for the ‘deserving poor’ as opposed to ‘dependent bums’. I can’t imagine reading this book for pleasure, but it’s a strong overview of the policy arena.