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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I liked this book, it was a good overview of US history from a disability perspective. But as a disabled person, I could've done without the "era-accurate" language use
informative
medium-paced
Fun(ny) fact(s): Shoutout to Madi for recommending this book to me and to Baylor libraries for their forgiving late books policies.
Favorite quote/image (quoting Clara Chow): "'I guess I am an activist,' she concluded. 'I think it's just caring.'" (pg. 161)
Honorable mention: "Disability is not just a bodily category, but instead and also a social category shaped by changing social factors–just as is able-bodiness. That is not to argue that we should all hold hands and cheerfully insist that we're all disabled in some way or another. That ignores the lived reality that disability can bring physical discomfort or difficulty. It also ignores the historical reality that being defined as disabled has made access to power and resources limited or difficult; and that hierarchies of power contribute to definitions of disability." (pg. xv)
Why: Nielsen provides a brief survey of the history of disabilities in the US, which is no easy task given the diversity of experiences that people with disabilities have at any given point, much less through history. She rightly points out that this is just as part of the American story as the history learned in school, seeking to offer fresh perspective on such a nuanced, complex story.
Favorite quote/image (quoting Clara Chow): "'I guess I am an activist,' she concluded. 'I think it's just caring.'" (pg. 161)
Honorable mention: "Disability is not just a bodily category, but instead and also a social category shaped by changing social factors–just as is able-bodiness. That is not to argue that we should all hold hands and cheerfully insist that we're all disabled in some way or another. That ignores the lived reality that disability can bring physical discomfort or difficulty. It also ignores the historical reality that being defined as disabled has made access to power and resources limited or difficult; and that hierarchies of power contribute to definitions of disability." (pg. xv)
Why: Nielsen provides a brief survey of the history of disabilities in the US, which is no easy task given the diversity of experiences that people with disabilities have at any given point, much less through history. She rightly points out that this is just as part of the American story as the history learned in school, seeking to offer fresh perspective on such a nuanced, complex story.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Wow. And I thought I knew a lot about being Disabled!
Okay, I'm joking. I do know a lot about being Disabled, simply because I am, but this brought so many new ideas to light for me. I adored getting to hear so much new information about how disability exited in Native American communities-- the existence of Plain Sign Language, and how true disability was about imbalance of mind, body, and spirit instead of something like an inability to walk, and even how it was often believed that Disability was born of straying from the path you should walk.
So many of Nielsen's stories stick with me, now. I think often of Samuel Coolidge and how he was a community responsibility-- cared for [if you could call it that] and tolerated until he could no longer serve the purpose of working in schools, and then being locked up. I think of those enslaved people on the Middle Passage, thrown overboard for becoming disabled along the way. I think about how immigrants were screened for being likely to become a public charge-- for being queer, Jewish, effeminate in any way [a small penis was enough], disabled, pregnant, poor, and most things, really. I think about the woman who were forcibly sterilized and pushed into insane asylums for the crime of having been raped. I think of the Hiawatha Insane Asylum.
Nielsen taught me so much in such a short read. Her writing is so beautiful and succinct, and her choice in stories really drew it together. A Disability History of the US was never a drag, even when it was difficult. It became clearer to me that Disability is not just about being with limited physical or mental capacity to function, but how much you are perceived as undesirable or difficult. Being 'ugly' is enough to be disabled. Knowing this now, I see it in every day. I see the argument that trans people are mentally ill-- disabled, so to speak. I see much more than I did before.
I don't think I'll ever look at the history of my country, or of my community, the same way. Please, do read this. It's worth what you'll take from it.
Okay, I'm joking. I do know a lot about being Disabled, simply because I am, but this brought so many new ideas to light for me. I adored getting to hear so much new information about how disability exited in Native American communities-- the existence of Plain Sign Language, and how true disability was about imbalance of mind, body, and spirit instead of something like an inability to walk, and even how it was often believed that Disability was born of straying from the path you should walk.
So many of Nielsen's stories stick with me, now. I think often of Samuel Coolidge and how he was a community responsibility-- cared for [if you could call it that] and tolerated until he could no longer serve the purpose of working in schools, and then being locked up. I think of those enslaved people on the Middle Passage, thrown overboard for becoming disabled along the way. I think about how immigrants were screened for being likely to become a public charge-- for being queer, Jewish, effeminate in any way [a small penis was enough], disabled, pregnant, poor, and most things, really. I think about the woman who were forcibly sterilized and pushed into insane asylums for the crime of having been raped. I think of the Hiawatha Insane Asylum.
Nielsen taught me so much in such a short read. Her writing is so beautiful and succinct, and her choice in stories really drew it together. A Disability History of the US was never a drag, even when it was difficult. It became clearer to me that Disability is not just about being with limited physical or mental capacity to function, but how much you are perceived as undesirable or difficult. Being 'ugly' is enough to be disabled. Knowing this now, I see it in every day. I see the argument that trans people are mentally ill-- disabled, so to speak. I see much more than I did before.
I don't think I'll ever look at the history of my country, or of my community, the same way. Please, do read this. It's worth what you'll take from it.
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
So, this is a part of a series of books that I've read a few of where they look at American history through the lens of various minority groups. The collection has really been a mixed bag, with some good and some bad. This one was decent. My only real complaint about it is that it wasn't written by a disabled adult. I mean, surely there are disabled American historians out there who could have been hired to write this book. A black woman was hired to write a black woman's history of the united states. An indigenous person was hired to write an indigenous history of the united states. Why wasn't a disabled person hired to write a disability history of the united states? She does state in the prologue that her daughter is disabled, but, my friend, that is not own voices. However, this woman was hired to do a job and she did it decently. She starts out with how native american communities prior to america saw disability and continues up through the ADA talking about shifting perspectives on disabled workers, the mentally ill, and people who can't work. It was really interesting to see how disabled people were viewed throughout history, especially when there were suddenly a lot of disabled war veterans after the civil and especially world war ii. Who cared for these people when they needed care was another overarching theme, especially when they were unable to care for themselves. One glaring omission that I would have mentioned is any well known disabled people, such as president Roosevelt or Helen Keller. It seemed like she wanted so desperately to keep the focus on normal people that she didn't mention famous people at all, and that seems odd (but a black women's history of the united states had the same omission so it may be a hallmark of this series?). Anyway it was interesting but i'm taking off a star because the publisher didn't think to hire a disabled person to write it.
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Deportation
informative
One of the better books in this series. Eye-opening.