Disability Visibility

First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century

paperback, 336 pages

Published June 30, 2020 by Vintage.

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5 stars (1 review)

A groundbreaking collection of first-person writing on the joys and challenges of the modern disability experience: Disability Visibility brings together the voices of activists, authors, lawyers, politicians, artists, and everyday people whose daily lives are, in the words of playwright Neil Marcus, “an art…an ingenious way to live.” A Vintage Books Original.

According to the last census, one in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some are visible, some are hidden—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together an urgent, galvanizing collection of personal essays by contemporary disabled writers. There is Harriet McBryde Johnson’s “Unspeakable Conversations,” which describes her famous debate with Princeton philosopher Peter Singer over her own personhood. There is columnist s. e. smith’s celebratory review of a work of theater by disabled performers. …

4 editions

must read collection of essays on disability by disabled folks

5 stars

a wide-ranging collection of essays from disabled folks about their lives, experience with disability and ableism, and activism. there's variety in the experiences, identities, and topics represented, and I felt the collection is well-edited (notable, because anthologies are hard!). gave me a lot to think about and reflect on. I think this is a great introduction to disability justice, and there's also a bunch of resources in the back for further reading, viewing, listening. looking forward to digging into them.