The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. The background is teal, with rows of people, of various ethnicities and with various disabilities, across the length of it. In the centre of the cover, a dark blue box with text. The text, in pale yellow font, is:
The title “Demystifying Disability”
And the subtitle “What to Know, What to Say and How to be an Ally” immediately below this.
The author’s name “Emily Ladau” is at the bottom of the cover in dark blue. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Ableism
• Medical Content
• Sexual Content
• Forced Institutionalisation

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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.

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Notes:

Ladau co-hosts the podcast ‘The Accessible Stall’, a podcast about disability issues.

Follow this link to find an archive of old podcast episodes.

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Archivist Comments:

I’m always sceptical about anything that claims to be a “guide” to disability, but a lot of reviews on this one seem to say the same thing: it is approachable, easy to understand and gives a good insight into unravelling unconscious biases and stereotypes about disability. It’s bascially a good introduction to disability justice, apparently.

A couple of comments have pointed to the fact it is a bit US-centric, focusing on US disabled stereotypes, history and rights to an extent.

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