In this short book, Ashley Shew, a Virginia Tech professor, tips the reader on his/her/their head while discussing disabilities. Shew became disabled as a young adult when she had an aggressive cancer (losing her leg to it, along with other frustrating problems). Being tipped on my head was a good thing, because now my head is filled with better ways to consider the viewpoints of those whom we would label as disabled.
Shew defines Technoableism as the belief that the power of technology that considers the elimination of disability as something we should strive for, a type of ableism that she considers to be a bias against people who are disabled. This is especially noticeable when inventors "solve" the problems of people with disabilities without actually talking to people with disabilities and finding out what they need and want.
I cannot do justice describing this book, but it is packed with useful information regarding different types of disabilities, including neurodiversity, and it gives voice to those who experience disability and how they see the world. It is well-footnoted and has a helpful index. Recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment