This collection of 19 new essays by 21 authors from the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia and India focuses on contemporary film and television (1989 to the present) from those countries as well as from China, Korea, Thailand and France. The essays are divided into two parts. The first includes critical readings of narrative film and television. The second includes contributions on documentaries, biopics and autobiographically-informed films.

The book as a whole is designed to be accessible to readers new to disability studies while also contributing significantly to the field. An introduction gives background on disability studies and appendices provide a filmography and a list of suggested reading.