Sitting Pretty

Ableism is a hot topic right now and the meaning and discussions around it have been diluted to try to make it easier for able-bodied people to learn about ableism and have discussions about fixing it. Taussig does not hold back in hitting you in the face with the realities of how ableism impacts her day to day life. If you have ever found yourself thinking "their life would be so much easier if we could cure their disease" instead of "their life would be so much easier if I could make sure they had easier access to areas that they need and SHOULD be able to access", then you have fallen victim to ableism.

Taussig covers many topics from disabled bodies being used as props to garner donations, having to do massive amounts of exhausting research to figure out if you can go somewhere with your friends when invited, and having strangers force their help on you after you've made it clear that you are ok and don't need the assistance. She explains how to be supportive without being condescending as well as how when we make room in our areas for disability access, we help out the community at large, not just those with physical ailments. Curb dips are a huge benefit for moms/dads with strollers and people that have a hard time taking a step up. Elevators are pretty self-explanatory. And everyone becomes disabled at some point in time in their lives; old age, broken bones, hard pregnancies, all are disabilities. Before prescription glasses were made, not having 20/20 vision was a disability that would heavily impact your ability to function.

I got so much information from this book, and I feel compelled to continue learning how to change my frame of mind to give support in the ways that it is needed instead of deciding for myself what help there is to give. Highly recommend this one.