Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century

According to the last Census, one in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some are visible, some are hidden  — but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together an urgent, galvanizing collection of personal essays by disabled people in the 21st century.

From Harriet McBryde Johnson's account of her famous debate with Princeton philosopher Peter Singer over her own personhood, to original pieces by up-and-coming authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, eulogies, testimonies to Congress, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse of the vast richness and complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own assumptions and understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and past with hope and love.

"Brutally honest and sometimes difficult to read....This is a wake-up call and a justified demand for greater visibility for all members of our communities, and it deserves a wide audience." Booklist

"Wong's discerning selections, bolstered by the activism that shines through, will educate and inspire readers." Kirkus Reviews

"A raw, emotional collection....The 37 powerful stories in Disability Visibility reveal the depth of everyday courage and the extraordinary human capacity to find humor in the face of life's adversities." Shelf Awareness

"Bringing varied voices to the forefront, this collection is an ideal starting ground for finding community and sparking further reading." Library Journal

Alice Wong is a disabled activist, media maker, and research consultant based in San Francisco, California. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated tocreating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. Alice is also the host and co-producer of the Disability Visibility podcast and co-partner in a number of collaborations such as #CripTheVote and Access Is Love. From 2013 to 2015, Alice served as a member of the National Council on Disability, an appointment by President Barack Obama. You can followher on Twitter: @SFdirewolf. For more: disabilityvisibilityproject.com.