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

Emily Ladau

Sep 2021 · Sold by Ten Speed Press

About this ebook

An approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more inclusive place
 
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, Booklist • “A candid, accessible cheat sheet for anyone who wants to thoughtfully join the conversation . . . Emily makes the intimidating approachable and the complicated clear.”—Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary, Resilient, Disabled Body

People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, an estimated 15 percent of the global population. But many of us—disabled and nondisabled alike—don’t know how to act, what to say, or how to be an ally to the disability community. What are the appropriate ways to think, talk, and ask about disability? Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on the important disability issues you need to know about, including:

• Recognizing and avoiding ableism (discrimination toward disabled people)
• Practicing good disability etiquette
• Ensuring accessibility becomes your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events
• Appreciating disability history and identity
• Identifying and speaking up about disability stereotypes in media
 
Authored by celebrated disability rights advocate, speaker, and writer Emily Ladau, this practical, intersectional guide offers all readers a welcoming place to understand disability as part of the human experience.

Praise for Demystifying Disability

“Whether you have a disability, or you are non-disabled, Demystifying Disability is a MUST READ. Emily Ladau is a wise spirit who thinks deeply and writes exquisitely.”—Judy Heumann, international disability rights advocate and author of Being Heumann
 
“Emily Ladau has done her homework, and Demystifying Disability is her candid, accessible cheat sheet for anyone who wants to thoughtfully join the conversation. A teacher who makes you forget you’re learning, Emily makes the intimidating approachable and the complicated clear. This book is a generous and needed gift.”—Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body

Ratings and reviews

A collection of common sense platitudes, no need to buy this book, it did not give me any new information.

I was not born with a real disability, nor did I sustain injuries causing visible or invisible disabilities related to GSW/MVA/IED. I'm just an old retired nurse with arthritis and a few other things who used to work head trauma and other rehabs. I've been around enough to value everything the author has to say about those who do have real disabilities whether visible or invisible and the injustices and stupidities that others have subjected them to. This book needs to be in curricula, doctor's offices, libraries, and homes everywhere while we all advocate for inclusiveness and honest sensitivity. This was just the poke I needed to stop complaining and DO something about the lack of entry/egress on Amtrak (the ride is a marvelous, but getting in/out of the car is %). Planning to get a copy for my local library as well! I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

About the author

Emily Ladau is an internationally known disability rights activist, writer, and speaker. She is the editor in chief of the Rooted in Rights blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives of the intersectional disability experience. She also co-hosts The Accessible Stall, a podcast about disability issues. Ladau's writing has been published in outlets including the New York Times, HuffPost, CNN, Self, Salon, Vice, The Daily Beast, Variety, and Marie Claire Australia. Her work is also included in the Criptiques Anthology and About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times. She has served as an expert source on disability issues for outlets including NPR, Vox, Washington Post, and Teen Vogue, and has been featured in a range of press outlets including Newsday, BuzzFeed, CBS News, and U.S. News & World Report.