Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally
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- Create Date：2021-08-30 22:20:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Emily Ladau
- ISBN：B08K7NVJDP
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Summary
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 accessible， inclusive place。
Disabled people are the world’s largest minority， an estimated 15 percent of the global population。 But many of us–disabled and non-disabled alike–don’t know how to act， what to say， or how to be an ally to the disability community。 Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on important disability issues you need to know about， including:
• How to appreciate disability history and identity
• How to recognize and avoid ableism （discrimination toward disabled people）
• How to be mindful of good disability etiquette
• How to appropriately think， talk， and ask about disability
• How to ensure accessibility becomes your standard practice， from everyday communication to planning special events
• How to identify and speak 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。
Disabled people are the world’s largest minority， an estimated 15 percent of the global population。 But many of us–disabled and non-disabled alike–don’t know how to act， what to say， or how to be an ally to the disability community。 Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on important disability issues you need to know about， including:
• How to appreciate disability history and identity
• How to recognize and avoid ableism （discrimination toward disabled people）
• How to be mindful of good disability etiquette
• How to appropriately think， talk， and ask about disability
• How to ensure accessibility becomes your standard practice， from everyday communication to planning special events
• How to identify and speak 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。
Reviews
Dave
，
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR RICHES， FAME， POWERS， KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM。 Are you a business Man or Woman， Politician， Musician， Pastor， Lawyer， Actor， Actress， Banker， Footballer， Model， Graduate， student， Engineer And you want to be Rich， Famous and Powerful in Life， And NO HUMAN SACRIFICE。THIS IS YOUR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY， The great Illuminati brotherhood will make you Rich， Powerful， famous and wealthy。 You can achieve all your dreams and heart desire by being a member of the Illuminati brotherhood， Lon ARE YOU LOOKING FOR RICHES， FAME， POWERS， KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM。 Are you a business Man or Woman， Politician， Musician， Pastor， Lawyer， Actor， Actress， Banker， Footballer， Model， Graduate， student， Engineer And you want to be Rich， Famous and Powerful in Life， And NO HUMAN SACRIFICE。THIS IS YOUR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY， The great Illuminati brotherhood will make you Rich， Powerful， famous and wealthy。 You can achieve all your dreams and heart desire by being a member of the Illuminati brotherhood， Long life and prosperity here on Earth。If you really want to become a member of the great Illuminati contact us today VIA: illuminatigranmaster@gmail。com or WhatsApp +1 （470） 347‑1692。 。。。more
Sacha
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 Here is that review: 5 stars Readers of this text will find exactly what Landau promises: education but not in the notoriously boring style of a textbook。 Through her own experiences and extensive research and interviews of others， Landau provides a well-rounded exploration that， as the title suggests， demystifies disability primarily for those who are not disabled。 Landau covers an array of Thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 Here is that review: 5 stars Readers of this text will find exactly what Landau promises: education but not in the notoriously boring style of a textbook。 Through her own experiences and extensive research and interviews of others， Landau provides a well-rounded exploration that， as the title suggests， demystifies disability primarily for those who are not disabled。 Landau covers an array of subtopics here， but my favorites are the conversation about ableist language and examples of what to do and not do when interacting with disabled folks。 After reading the section on language， I immediately found myself making a concerted effort to eliminate a couple of words from my vocabulary。 While I know these words have unsavory roots， they are so profuse in my language and in language I hear every day that I hadn't even considered the larger implications。 In addition to working to alter my own language， thinking about this section has led me into some already provocative （in a good way） conversations about how we can be more mindful of the language we use in general。 It's disturbing but helpful to hear about the experiences that various disabled folks - Emily included - have had with generally well intentioned individuals。 There's a strong variety of examples， settings， and circumstances， and while some of the instances are particularly painful or cringey， that's the point: not to look away but to learn and behave accordingly。 As a person who not only works in higher education but who also specifically works in equity and inclusion， it is especially important to me to keep learning and improving， and this book is a welcome addition to that effort。 I do think some folks who are a bit more aware of these issues will find some sections more rudimentary than needed， but the vast majority of readers will discover a wealth of helpful resources and info， and even the most engaged folks will come away with useful points and tips。 I recommend this one for literally everybody。 。。。more
Ben Mattlin
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Wow！ This book packs a lot into its slim 175 pages。 In easy-to-read， accessible， nonjudgmental language， it is both deep and comprehensive。 Ladau presents scads of righteous， thought-provoking information in bite-sized （and easily digested） chunks。 Valuable for the young and the old， the disabled and the nondisabled， it's sure to become a go-to resource。 My only complaint is the title。 It really should be called "Disability 101" or "A Disability Primer: How to be anti--ablest。" I'm guessing the Wow！ This book packs a lot into its slim 175 pages。 In easy-to-read， accessible， nonjudgmental language， it is both deep and comprehensive。 Ladau presents scads of righteous， thought-provoking information in bite-sized （and easily digested） chunks。 Valuable for the young and the old， the disabled and the nondisabled， it's sure to become a go-to resource。 My only complaint is the title。 It really should be called "Disability 101" or "A Disability Primer: How to be anti--ablest。" I'm guessing the title was the publisher's choice， not the author's， because she knows--as this smart book makes clear--that there is nothing mysterious about disability。 （Note: I was privileged enough to receive an advance copy--I was going to preorder it anyway。 Not sure why。 Maybe because I have a disability myself。 But other than that， I was in no way compensated for this blurb。） 。。。more
Katherine
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Emily Ladau has written a perfect introductory book for anyone wanting to better understand the needs of the disability community。 The content is easy to follow and uses clear， every day language making it well suited for teens and children alike。 It ranges from what I would hope is somewhat self evident advice （"don't ask invasive questions about a stranger's disability"） to informative， detailed information about accessibility in public spaces。 The particular strength of "Demystifying Disabili Emily Ladau has written a perfect introductory book for anyone wanting to better understand the needs of the disability community。 The content is easy to follow and uses clear， every day language making it well suited for teens and children alike。 It ranges from what I would hope is somewhat self evident advice （"don't ask invasive questions about a stranger's disability"） to informative， detailed information about accessibility in public spaces。 The particular strength of "Demystifying Disability" is the incredible range and diversity of voices included。 Emily Ladau is clearly active in the disability community and wants to introduce the reader to all of her friends。 This allows for a variety of forms of disability to be represented and explored。 The resource list at the end of the book is particularly helpful and extends learning beyond the pages of the book。 I'm excited for this book to be released so that I can start recommending it to friends！Thank you NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Jan
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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 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！ 。。。more
Anna T。 （despasurlesable）
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I would like to thank the publisher of Demystifying Disability: What to Know， What to Say， and How to Be an Ally for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley。I self-identity as a woman with chronic pain and depression and I consider myself disabled。 This book is a brilliant， engaging， practical and informative book on disabilities。 I would recommend this read to educators， parents and adults who want to be socially conscious citizens and allies。 It's the perfect， introductory， I would like to thank the publisher of Demystifying Disability: What to Know， What to Say， and How to Be an Ally for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley。I self-identity as a woman with chronic pain and depression and I consider myself disabled。 This book is a brilliant， engaging， practical and informative book on disabilities。 I would recommend this read to educators， parents and adults who want to be socially conscious citizens and allies。 It's the perfect， introductory， non-fiction book on disabilities。 。。。more
Mangeuse de Livres
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An introduction to respect， understand and be an ally to people with disabilities。 From the vocabulary to use to the "etiquette" of being around a person with a disability。 The book also touched upon ableism and how to react to it。 The author was very clear and repeated a lot of times that this book is an introduction and not a complete guide because she's only one person so she can't represent the whole disabled experience。 She links a lot of ressources we can use to further educate ourselves w An introduction to respect， understand and be an ally to people with disabilities。 From the vocabulary to use to the "etiquette" of being around a person with a disability。 The book also touched upon ableism and how to react to it。 The author was very clear and repeated a lot of times that this book is an introduction and not a complete guide because she's only one person so she can't represent the whole disabled experience。 She links a lot of ressources we can use to further educate ourselves wich is awesome （there are not only books ！）。 I also love how she used a lot of personal experiences （from her as well as from other people she talked to or read about） as examples。 Of course， because she's a wheelchair user， her examples were often about this but she also tried to include a diversity of experiences。So for me it was a bit too introductory but the author warned me at the beginning ！ I think her words were always wisely chosen and even tough it was stuff I already knew for the most part， it was good to have it solidified AND put in perspective too ！ 。。。more
Katherine Hayward Pérez
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As soon as I found this on NetGalley， I knew I had to request it。 I liked the definitions of disability from interviewees and the fact that one of the people is someone I know from an online disability community。 I have Cerebral Palsy， Hydrocephalus and four visual impairments and have so many experiences of different treatment from different people throughout my life。 I have experienced both ignorance and acceptance from people and life has been， and still is， a constant fight for inclusion。 I As soon as I found this on NetGalley， I knew I had to request it。 I liked the definitions of disability from interviewees and the fact that one of the people is someone I know from an online disability community。 I have Cerebral Palsy， Hydrocephalus and four visual impairments and have so many experiences of different treatment from different people throughout my life。 I have experienced both ignorance and acceptance from people and life has been， and still is， a constant fight for inclusion。 I know so many people with disabilities will identify with me on this。 15% of the world's population has some type of disability。 I don't need disability to be demystified for me as I live with my disabilities every day but this is exactly the type of book that I know could help many people who need to know more about the world of disability and what those of us with disabilities are constantly up against。 Demystifying Disability will be good for those who think they "know it all" as they live with， or know， people with a disability。 I believe everyone can learn more。 Like Emily Ladau， I am a wheelchair user and I identified with her experiences。 I also learnt about her disability。 Another part of this book that I loved was her discussion of visible versus invisible disabilities， since I have both。 My glasses and wheelchair are a marker of my visual disabilities， as are my scars from my shunt surgeries for hydrocephalus。 However， unless I let people know I have hydrocephalus， let them know what it is and how it affects me， they have no idea that I have it or how serious it is。 Likewise with my glasses。 I have them but people cannot tell how strong my prescription is or that they only allow me to "see" the very little I can and that they don't correct my visual difficulties， that nothing will。 I embrace all these parts of me and encourage those who do not to do so and for others with disabilities to embrace their own uniqueness。 Demystifying Disability is a friendly but firm nudge in the right direction for people who think the world is accepting of people with disabilities。 It will challenge your perception of disability whether you have a disability or not， and I hope it will go a long way in producing more real change in society。 I think， and hope， it is the kind of book that will let people know that they shouldn't judge people based on what they "think" a person with a certain disability will look， or move， like。 I sincerely wish I could have had access to this book when I was growing up， as I think it will have gone a long way in shaping people's attitudes。 The message this book gives is that all of us with disabilities should love ourselves as we are and that everyone can learn something， no matter how much they think they know。 Because we can all keep learning。 Thanks to Emily Ladau for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review。 5 stars。 。。。more
Suzy
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Thanks to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC！This was a nice overview about disability for a general audience。 I think it could work well for teens， but many adults would benefit from reading it as well。This book is most effective when discussing topics like disability etiquette， how to talk about disability， recognizing and addressing ableism， and portrayals of disability in the media。 Here， Ladau is able to pull in her own anecdotes and those of many other disabled activists， and her Thanks to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC！This was a nice overview about disability for a general audience。 I think it could work well for teens， but many adults would benefit from reading it as well。This book is most effective when discussing topics like disability etiquette， how to talk about disability， recognizing and addressing ableism， and portrayals of disability in the media。 Here， Ladau is able to pull in her own anecdotes and those of many other disabled activists， and her strong convictions enable her to carve her own space among other basic overviews of disability。 Ladau effectively acknowledges that she cannot speak for all disabled people， clarifying her specific lens as a physically disabled， straight， white， Jewish， cisgender woman。 She includes quotes from many BIPOC & queer disabled people， as well as people with different types of disabilities from her own， to help emphasize the variety of viewpoints and lived experiences that exist within the disabled community。 She is clear that while she can give broad recommendations for how to speak and think about disability， each disabled person will have their own opinions， and can clarify their own preferences about terminology， boundaries， etc。I found chapter 3 （“An （Incomplete） Overview of Disability History”） to be the least engaging。 The whole chapter came across like she just felt obligated to include the subject。 In an attempt to be approachable， Ladau starts by asking the reader not to abandon the book and promising that it won’t be boring。 This is a pretty odd and ineffective way to introduce a topic。 Then， her quite brief summary of U。S。 disability history moved through events so quickly that I couldn’t see it being particularly useful to someone with no background information。 It felt like the same care and effort was not put into this chapter， and it became unclear why it was even included。 。。。more
Artie Carden
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Demystify Disability: what to know， what to say， and how to be an ally by @emilyladau has been a really great read。 I’ve learned a lot as a disabled person from the UK about ableism specifically in America， I now just wish there was a book like this for every country in the world so we can all understand our homelands’ reaction to disability better。 Obviously a lot of the points made are universal， there’s a lot of useful information and tips for either newly disabled or nondisabled people looki Demystify Disability: what to know， what to say， and how to be an ally by @emilyladau has been a really great read。 I’ve learned a lot as a disabled person from the UK about ableism specifically in America， I now just wish there was a book like this for every country in the world so we can all understand our homelands’ reaction to disability better。 Obviously a lot of the points made are universal， there’s a lot of useful information and tips for either newly disabled or nondisabled people looking to be better allies。 It’s a pretty accessible read， the words are too big and complicated， and I really loved the history lesson as this is something I want to learn more about （hence I wish there was a UK version， I know next to nothing about disability history in the UK） This book isn’t out until September 2021， but I highly recommend you add this to your wish lists。 There has been a clear effort made to include disability in all intersections， it is not just white straight cis disabled voices in this book and actually a few quotes from one of my favourite activists and creators are included @crutches_and_spice and the lovely @andrewgurza_ Also the original arc I received from #NetGalley was ironically inaccessible and had a huge stamp across every page， I brought this up to the author on Twitter and it was eventually changed。 :） I personally really loved the section on disability in media as someone who want（ed/s） to be an actor and does want to be a performer and creator of other kids， this was deeply personal and all the tropes and responses I’ve heard （as a very small early stages actor） were listed and I hope more people will at least read this book before they bulldoze on with their ableist depictions of disabled people （a recent one I saw was a man finds out he has a terminal illness and commits s u i c i d e as to not be a burden on his girlfriend 🤢） There’s also a super handy conclusion for people trying to be better allies with very simple steps to improve。 HIGHLY RECOMMEND 。。。more
Ariel Henley
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I've been a big fan of Emily Ladau for a few years now so I was very excited when I found out she was writing a book。 "Demystifying Disability" is a quick read that combines information， resources， and personal stories from the author and other people in the disability community that will help readers unpack their own internalized ableism and really learn about disability。 Throughout this book， Emily incorporates some of her own perspectives and experiences， and even the way her feelings and opi I've been a big fan of Emily Ladau for a few years now so I was very excited when I found out she was writing a book。 "Demystifying Disability" is a quick read that combines information， resources， and personal stories from the author and other people in the disability community that will help readers unpack their own internalized ableism and really learn about disability。 Throughout this book， Emily incorporates some of her own perspectives and experiences， and even the way her feelings and opinions have shifted over the years。 The author acknowledging that we’re all constantly learning and evolving is part of what makes this book such a great tool for learning about disabilities。 It’s welcoming for readers， whether they are new to learning about disability or are disabled themselves。 By breaking down topics and explaining them in a really straightforward， accessible way， Emily gives readers the tools to continue educating themselves even after they've finished reading。I specifically loved that Emily explored both Identity Fist Language and Person First Language。 She also gave examples of ableism and provided readers with a guide of words/terms to avoid and what to say instead。 While I’ll admit I was hoping “deformed” would’ve been on the list of words to avoid， I recognize that this book isn’t meant to be focused on one type disability and that's okay。 Overall， this book is a super helpful guide and overview。 It is going to change people’s understanding of disability and help readers unpack their own assumptions about what it means to be disabled。 It should be required reading for everyone。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital ARC。 。。。more
Zoe
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And excellent resource for people trying to understand the disabled community。 This is an introduction to disability that describes most common terms， preferred language， and so on。 It's not a definitive guide， but rather a vital resource to help allies understand the disabled community and how they can be a *good* ally。~I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。~ And excellent resource for people trying to understand the disabled community。 This is an introduction to disability that describes most common terms， preferred language， and so on。 It's not a definitive guide， but rather a vital resource to help allies understand the disabled community and how they can be a *good* ally。~I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。~ 。。。more
Shana
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***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***Ableism is still an area in which I am still pretty ignorant， so when I saw this ARC， I knew I wanted to read it。 Emily Ladau provides a comprehensive overview of issues that disabled people face， and how non-disabled people can work towards becoming better allies。 The tone is conversational and the information is broken down into accessible chunks。 She covers topics like appropriate language， how not to commit microaggressio ***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***Ableism is still an area in which I am still pretty ignorant， so when I saw this ARC， I knew I wanted to read it。 Emily Ladau provides a comprehensive overview of issues that disabled people face， and how non-disabled people can work towards becoming better allies。 The tone is conversational and the information is broken down into accessible chunks。 She covers topics like appropriate language， how not to commit microaggressions， different types of disability， disability history， and so much more。 Beyond this information， Ladau is conscientious in addressing the privileges she does hold as a white， cisgender， disabled woman， and recognizing that her experience is not the sole one from which we should be learning。 Likewise， she reminds readers often that ultimately， you must check in with the individual （with whom you have some sort of relationship） in order to know their preferred language and means of support around their disability。 Since disability encompasses so many different types of experiences， we need to expand our ways of imagining the world in order to truly be inclusive。 。。。more
Torrie Dunlap
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I have been waiting for a book like this for 20 years。 Emily Ladau has given me everything I hoped for and more in Demystifying Disability。 In my professional life， I help teachers and child care providers include kids with disabilities in their classrooms and programs。 My colleagues and I have worked with over 100，000 educators in the United States and witnessed a gap in the knowledge of the disability community by the general population。 The lack of understanding creates social barriers。 Peopl I have been waiting for a book like this for 20 years。 Emily Ladau has given me everything I hoped for and more in Demystifying Disability。 In my professional life， I help teachers and child care providers include kids with disabilities in their classrooms and programs。 My colleagues and I have worked with over 100，000 educators in the United States and witnessed a gap in the knowledge of the disability community by the general population。 The lack of understanding creates social barriers。 People are afraid of what they don't know。 Emily's guiding philosophy for her work is， "If the disability community wants a world that's accessible to us， then we must make ideas and experiences of disability accessible to the world。" Emily's philosophy is beautifully expressed in this well-written and practical handbook。 It is just what is needed to create a more inclusive and accessible society。 Emily covers a lot of ground in this easy-to-absorb book。 She starts with the basics， defining disability and guiding readers on the language of disability。 Often a significant stumbling block to inclusion is that people don't know what terms to use when talking about disability。 She spends time explaining the many ways to think about disability。 She processes the pros and cons of each of the mental models and their historical context。 She fills in the void of disability history that we didn't learn in school， helping the reader appreciate the richness of disability culture。 Throughout the book， Emily incorporates voices from a wide range of people who are part of the disability community， showing the diversity of experiences that make up the largest minority group in the United States。 I appreciated the chapter on Disability in the Media。 I believe it will help people become better consumers of entertainment and information。 Emily shares practical resources for people who want to support the disability community in the ongoing struggle for more accessibility and civil rights。 She reminds us that an "ally" is not something we are; it is something that we DO。 Demystifying Disability is written in a warm， funny， approachable style。 Emily welcomes you into her experience of life with a disability。 She'll gently admonish you， if necessary， for outdated， stereotyped thinking or behavior， but in a non-preachy way。 This combination of the content and the style has the power to change mindsets and thereby change actions。 I can't wait to buy many copies of this one and hand it out to everyone I know。 I'll be recommending it over and over again to clients， colleagues， as well as friends and family。 Demystifying Disability is a valuable read for anyone who wants to increase understanding of the human experience and a must-read for anyone who serves the public。 I can see this being a powerful reading experience in a classroom setting。 I'd also encourage business leaders and parents to read this book。 OK， everyone needs to read this book。 I can't think of a person who would not benefit from this reading experience （from teenagers up）。 。。。more
Caroline
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I must admit I had never heard of or read anything by Emily Ladau， the author of Demystifying Disability before reading this book。 Having worked a few years back in a radio station run by people with disabilities， designed for an audience with desabilities and discussing only about disability connected questions （accessibility， policies， everyday life。。。）， I thought I was quite aware of the subject。 However， reading Demystifying Disabilities ， I realised I had acquired theorethical knowledge abo I must admit I had never heard of or read anything by Emily Ladau， the author of Demystifying Disability before reading this book。 Having worked a few years back in a radio station run by people with disabilities， designed for an audience with desabilities and discussing only about disability connected questions （accessibility， policies， everyday life。。。）， I thought I was quite aware of the subject。 However， reading Demystifying Disabilities ， I realised I had acquired theorethical knowledge about disabilities and how to improve people's accessibility but not how to "deal with people"。Everybody should read this book， print the list of Do's and Don't and reread it from time to time。 As a parent now， I already tried to shush my daughters when they started to point at someone in a wheelchair or with Tourette's syndrom。 We cannot undo what has been done but we can try our best to act in a more respectful way。 The writing is clear and easy to read even for teenagers。 I would highly recommend it to open a conversation in schools。Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eArc in exchange of an honest review。 。。。more
Jamie
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Have you ever wondered what to do when you see someone struggle that with an everyday task who is disabled？ Disability etiquette will give you the answer and is just one of the many topics covered in this book。 The author is a disabled herself， but she doesn't just rely on her own personal experience to help inform others。 This book looks at different disability advocacy groups， disability history， stereotypes and ableism。 There is also an extensive list of resources at the end to help continue Have you ever wondered what to do when you see someone struggle that with an everyday task who is disabled？ Disability etiquette will give you the answer and is just one of the many topics covered in this book。 The author is a disabled herself， but she doesn't just rely on her own personal experience to help inform others。 This book looks at different disability advocacy groups， disability history， stereotypes and ableism。 There is also an extensive list of resources at the end to help continue the research if you want to learn more。 。。。more
Andréa
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Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。
Richard Propes
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Emily Ladau is a widely known disability rights advocate， speaker， and writer whose book "Demystifying Disability" is， and I have to say it， an accessible guide to being a thoughtful and informed guide to people with disabilities。 Oh， and she apparently has sex。 I knew as soon as I saw a quote from good friend Lawrence Carter-Long in the book that I was going to be in good hands with Ladau's intelligent and insightful work here。 For those of us living with disabilities， "Demystifying Disabilitie Emily Ladau is a widely known disability rights advocate， speaker， and writer whose book "Demystifying Disability" is， and I have to say it， an accessible guide to being a thoughtful and informed guide to people with disabilities。 Oh， and she apparently has sex。 I knew as soon as I saw a quote from good friend Lawrence Carter-Long in the book that I was going to be in good hands with Ladau's intelligent and insightful work here。 For those of us living with disabilities， "Demystifying Disabilities" isn't particularly demystifying。 After all， we live it。 Though， as Ladau points out on multiple occasions in the book， we all live it differently and part of the beauty of "Demystifying Disability" is that Ladau leaves room at the table for nearly everyone。 Disabled people are the world's largest minority - an estimated 15% of the world's population。 Yet， to this day， it seems as disability remains a mystery to many and "Demystifying Disability" gently yet intentionally breaks down the walls of mystery and builds a bridge to understanding and human connection。 Ladau's writing style is warm and friendly， however， Ladau doesn't hold back on the importance of these insights she's so eloquently sharing。 Ladau explores such issues as exploring disability history and identity， ableism， positive disability etiquette， appropriately communicating about disability， planning for accessibility in daily life， and confronting media stereotypes about disability。 There's more， of course， but one of the wise things here is that Ladau actually keeps the conversation surprisingly simple and weaves in her own experiences into the wider conversations being discussed here。 Ladau discusses the importance of understanding intersectionality， a term we've all likely heard these days but often don't truly understand。 "Demystifying Disability" is a tremendous place to start the disability conversation。 There are a myriad of quality discussions that can be formed out of the book and Ladau writes from a peaceful， hospitable place that seems to invite genuine conversations。 It is， of course， possible to go much deeper than Ladau chooses to go here。 While I myself didn't particularly find "Demystifying Disability" groundbreaking information， I've had a disability my entire life and I can assure you that many will read these pages and go "I never thought of it that way。"Indeed， many of us deal with it every single day。 Beautifully written and easy to understand， "Demystifying Disability" takes away the mystery and the "inspiration" and the stereotypes and infuses disability with real life， rich humanity， and common ground。 。。。more
Ana
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