Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally

With straightforward prose and plenty of examples, disability advocate Emily Ladau gives readers a primer in Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally. Short and even fun chapters cover subjects including disability in history and media, ableism (systemic and interpersonal) and etiquette, but the most powerful chapter is "Understanding Disability as Part of a Whole Person," a topic woven into all sections of the book. For example, Ladau explains how using oversimplified versions of personal stories as "inspiration porn," or for condescending and dehumanizing pity or charity, can perpetuate stereotyping of disabled people and useless allyship.

Readers will want to pick up Demystifying Disability to answer a question Ladau poses: "How can we unlearn and disentangle ourselves from the mess of stigma and prejudice toward disabled people--especially disabled people of multiple marginalized identities--and begin to move toward a more inclusive, accepting world?"

While the information and recommendations here are written to be easy to understand and apply, Ladau is quick to note that her voice is just one of many, not a definitive account of all experiences and perspectives. To balance this, she quotes many other disability advocates and includes a list of resources for further reading.

Demystifying Disability is a great starting point for anyone looking better to understand the diversity of human experiences, but will be especially useful to those who wish to build inclusive spaces or make their own work more accessible. --Suzanne Krohn, editor, Love in Panels

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