The need for cross-cultural studies of disability has often been stated but seldom acted upon. It was nearly thirty years ago that Edgerton, in a highly influential paper, made the intellectual case for increased study of disability within and between societies, both developing and developed. Despite this call, the social science literature on physical disabilities suffers a curious omission in the relative lack of attention paid to a cross-cultural perspective. Thus Scheer and Groce write that the "definition and social consequences of physical impairment in various cultural settings remain an open field for anthropological investigation. The diverse range of social responses for physical disabilities is not well appreciated or understood by social scientists, policy makers, nor disabled people themselves".
