This dissertation explores the ways in which affective responses to disabled bodies are represented and how this invites us to read these bodies aesthetically. I argue that this affective impact... Show moreThis dissertation explores the ways in which affective responses to disabled bodies are represented and how this invites us to read these bodies aesthetically. I argue that this affective impact can be understood as an affordance, a term I use to describe how the appearance of and interaction with disabled bodies produces affective responses such as fear, wonder, or disgust. I study the relationship between representation and affective reactions through literature and other art forms. Through close readings of literary texts and works of art, this dissertation offers an alternative to so-called model thinking—an approach that emphasizes categorization. Instead, I propose a reading that focuses on how bodily capacities are culturally and socially translated into (dis)abilities. Unlike taxonomic approaches that categorize and generalize, this method allows moving from the particular to the private. Works of art, although prone to generalization, emphasize their unicity and resist categorization. By analyzing how different art forms represent disabled bodies, the dissertation brings a new dimension to understanding our emotional responses and the aesthetic appreciation of bodily diversity. Show less
Hip fractures are common in old age and have a significant impact, both on the older patients as on society in general. This thesis shows that daily functioning of older people with a hip fracture... Show moreHip fractures are common in old age and have a significant impact, both on the older patients as on society in general. This thesis shows that daily functioning of older people with a hip fracture already deteriorates before their fracture, with a larger pre-fracture decline in and lowerpre-fracture level of daily functioning as compared to age-related peers. Picking up the decline in daily functioning before a hip fracture for individual patients is notpossible yet, as it is not measured routinely in clinical practice and, as this thesis show, there is currently also no other way to extract daily functioning from routine care data. However, the last pre-fracture daily functioning level, which can often be reconstructed at the time of fracture, is informative on its own for post-fracture recovery potential.In any case, a hip fracture is a signal of ongoing decline, which can warn clinicians that their patient is in a trajectory of decline and thus expectations of recoveryshould be adjusted correspondingly. When measuring this recovery in daily functioning, researchers and clinicians should be aware that (I)ADL questionnaires hardly correspond with self-perceived functioning of older people and are not so sensitive to small but (for older people) relevant changes. Thus, (I)ADL questionnaires alone are not enough to measure post-fracture recovery. Show less
Indirect discrimination is one of several types or forms of discrimination listed in Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78, which are part of the EU's statutory equality or non-discrimination law.... Show moreIndirect discrimination is one of several types or forms of discrimination listed in Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78, which are part of the EU's statutory equality or non-discrimination law. However, experience has shown that the concept of indirect discrimination is often not understood and sometimes not even accepted or acknowledged. Moreover, its application in practice presents a number of challenges. This report, written by Christa Tobler, updates an earlier report on indirect discrimination written in 2008 by presenting developments and challenges in CJEU case law as well as national legislation and case law in the Member States. Show less
This thesis focuses on the assessment and monitoring of health and imaging outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and the relationship between these outcomes. Four major contributions to... Show more This thesis focuses on the assessment and monitoring of health and imaging outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and the relationship between these outcomes. Four major contributions to the understanding and management of axial SpA were made: 1) the improvement and facilitation of the assessment of disease activity using the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), for which we defined disease activity cut-offs and response criteria and provided guidance about the calculation of the score; 2) the increase in the knowledge about the mutual relationships between health outcomes in axial SpA, namely health related quality of life, physical function, clinical disease activity, spinal mobility, structural damage and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine; 3) the increase in the knowledge about the factors that influence phenotypic variability in axial SpA, namely Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 (HLA-B27) positivity (a genetic factor), smoking (an environmental factor) and the presence of psoriasis (an extra-articular manifestation); and 4) the insight into the processes that drive structural progression in axial SpA and into the link between inflammation and structural damage, by specifically looking at the relationship between MRI inflammation, MRI fat deposition and new bone formation in axial SpA. Show less
Boeft, M. den; Twisk, J.W.R.; Hoekstra, T.; Terluin, B.; Penninx, B.W.J.H.; Wouden, J.C. van der; ... ; Horst, H.E. van der 2016
This thesis is two-fold focused on rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. It covers outstanding aspects of research methodology in the assessment of inflammation and damage in patients... Show moreThis thesis is two-fold focused on rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. It covers outstanding aspects of research methodology in the assessment of inflammation and damage in patients with these diseases. The studies pertaining to the first part of the thesis focus on rheumatoid arthritis and may help to better understand the relationship between disease activity, radiographic damage and disability. More specifically, they evaluate which of the available tools (individual instruments or composite indices) is associated with radiographic damage and which of the different types of structural lesions detectable on radiographs is associated with disability. Additionally, these studies address methodological issues related to the optimal assessment of radiographic progression in clinical trials. The studies described in the second part of the thesis evaluate the benefit of supplementary tests reflecting inflammation, especially to help classifying (diagnosing) patients and to monitor disease activity. Among others, the studies described in this thesis provide data that allow a better usage of these tests in clinical practice. Overall, this thesis provide guidelines on how to assess properly rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis in clinical trials and in clinical practice. This precise way of assessment will lead to a better understanding and a better management of these diseases. Show less
Leeuw, G. van der; Gerrits, M.J.; Terluin, B.; Numans, M.E.; Feltz-Cornelis, C.M. van der; Horst, H.E. van der; ... ; Marwijk, H.W.J. van 2015
The main focus of this dissertation is exploring the position of people with disabilities within two Islamic sciences, namely, Islamic Theology and Islamic Jurisprudence as reflected in the early... Show moreThe main focus of this dissertation is exploring the position of people with disabilities within two Islamic sciences, namely, Islamic Theology and Islamic Jurisprudence as reflected in the early and modern writings of Muslim scholars. Within Islamic Theology, attention is paid to the opinions of early and modern Muslims theologians and philosophers on the existence of disability in this life, the wise purposes behind the existence of this phenomenon in addition to the efforts of these scholars in order to reconcile between the existence of this phenomenon on one hand and specific divine attributes such as the Mercy of God. Within Islamic Jurisprudence, the contentions of early and modern Muslim specialists in Islamic law have been probed into concerning a broad scope of topics with modern relevance such as the human dignity of people with disabilities, their employability, medical treatment, social life with main focus on marriage-related issues, financial life and means of living for this group of people. Show less
