leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed hearing about a variety of disabilities, specifically first-person accounts. There were some disabilities in this book that I hadn't even considered, which is why books like this are so important: so individuals can become more educated and aware. This book should be required reading in school.

A pleasant surprise while reading this book is that I found some validation of my own. I have spent years dealing with impostor syndrome surrounding some of my own disabilities, especially since they are not considered disabilities by all individuals. This book really helped me realize that my disabilities are not only real, but valid. I want to help bring more awareness to both visible and invisible disabilities. We [individuals with disabilities] deserve that.

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective

5.0

Everyone should read this. That is all.

CWs from each story as provided by the contributor:

Unspeakable Conversations: eugenics, infanticide, assisted suicide.

There's a Mathematical Equation that Proves I'm Ugly: bullying, suicidal ideation.

The Erasure of Indigenous People in Chronic Illness: settler colonialism, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, erasure, sexual assault, violence, suicide, suicidal ideation.

The Isolation of Being Deaf in Prison: sexual assault, language deprivation, isolation, incarceration, trauma, audism.

Common Cyborg: hate, misogyny, harassment, rape threats, death threats, racism, suicide, sterilization, ableism, eugenics. 

We Can't Go Back: institutionalization, abuse.

Last but Not Least: body shaming, groping, sexual harassment.

The Antiabortion Bill You Aren't Hearing About: bodily autonomy, eugenics, ableism, trauma, sexual assault, medical trauma, objectification, carceral state, sterilization.

Incontinence is a Public Health Issue...: suicidal ideation, bullying, body shaming, infantilization. 

Failing/Burning: suffering, medication, spoilers for Hannah Gadsby's Nanette.

Lost Cause: abuse, racism, ableist language, child neglect, torture, poisoning, self-harm.

Disability Solidarity: state violence, anti-Blackness, racism, ableism, audism, police brutality, incarceration, murder, white supremacy. 

Time's Up for Me, Too: sexual assault, intimate partner violence, abuse, trauma. 

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pollyhall's review against another edition

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challenging informative sad tense slow-paced

2.0

 
This was a very slow read, I had to look up a lot of words. I would have liked to see fewer essays but with more depth. 

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jbabbm's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.5


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biacedbooks's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Very informative about living with a disability. I like that it was intersectional and talked about being queer, trans, BIPOC, etc., and how that relates to disability.

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leighannebfd3b's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


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caidyn's review

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emotional informative sad fast-paced

4.5

If you want a collection of essays that highlight disabled living, I highly recommend it. I've found that I don't know much about disabled life because I'm an abled person in an ableist society. And, I wanted to do something about it so I can properly help a diverse set of populations in my career and personal life. I really enjoyed these essays and how broad they were, although they all talked about ableism and how our society is set up to shunt disabled people to the side. It talks about the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and class. It really is a great read, although hard to stomach at times. I highly recommend it and plan on having a finished copy so I can revisit it as needed.

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allison_21's review

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challenging emotional informative medium-paced

4.75

It's so important to hear stories from different perspectives, and to hear directly from groups that are so often marginalized. I found this book to be powerful not because it was trying to be inspirational (as it wasn't), but because it came from people sharing their own experiences. Parts of it left me encouraged, and parts left me outraged that events like those described happen to people, and not only that, but are fully allowed to happen within our current systems and laws. Thanks goes to the authors who shared their stories.

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autumn_alwaysreadingseason's review

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informative medium-paced

4.0

This collection features a range of essays from authors with a variety of disabilities and interests. Topics revolve around disability justice and fighting stereotypes. There are mentions of historical figures, arguments, and laws (genocide, ADA, NYC's paratransit system, misconceptions about sexuality) as well as recent campaigns, hashtags, and reclamation that dismantle them. Each essay is accompanied by a set of content warnings for readers.

Favorites:
"There's a Mathematical Equation that Proves I'm Ugly" by Ariel Henley
"The Erasure of Indigenous People in Chronic Illness" by Jen Deerinwater
"Radical Visibility" by Sky Cubacub
"Guide Dogs Don't Lead People. We Wander As One" by Haben Girma
"Imposter Syndrome and Parenting with a Disability" by Jessica Slice
"Incontinence is a Public Health Issue - And We Need to Talk About It" bu Mari Ramsawakh
"The Fearless Benjamin Lay" by Eugene Grant
"Love Means Never Having to Say... Anything" by Jamison Hill

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