Community Read Book Discussion: Disability Visibility with Access to Independence, Racker, CACTC, and the Cortland County Mental Health Department

Pick up a free copy of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the 21st Century, edited by Alice Wong at Cortland Free Library, then join us for this in-person book discussion with our partners Access to Independence, Racker, Cortland Area Communities That Care (CACTC), and the Cortland County Mental Health Department.

Other ways to read the book:

• Audiobook
• eBook
• Plain-language summary by Sara Luterman (more about the plain-language version)
• Library of Congress’ Braille and Audio Reading Download program (downloadable talking book #DB99604 and Braille currently in process of being added)

About the Book:

A groundbreaking collection of first-person writing on the joys and challenges of the modern disability experience, Disability Visibility brings together the voices of activists, authors, lawyers, politicians, artists, and everyday people whose daily lives are, in the words of playwright Neil Marcus, “an art . . . an ingenious way to live.”

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 contemporary disabled writers. There is Harriet McBryde Johnson’s “Unspeakable Conversations,” which describes her famous debate with Princeton philosopher Peter Singer over her own personhood. There is columnist s. e. smith’s celebratory review of a work of theater by disabled performers. There are original pieces by up-and-coming authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma. There are blog posts, manifestos, eulogies, and testimonies to Congress.

Taken together, 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. – Provided by publisher

About the Author:

Alice Wong (she/her) is a disabled activist, writer, media maker, and consultant. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. Alice is the editor of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, an anthology of essays by disabled people and Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories for Today, an adapted version for young adults. Her debut memoir, Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life is available now from Vintage Books. Disability Intimacy, her next anthology, will be out in 2024. Twitter: @SFdirewolf.