I read NTE’s review of Demystifying Disability and immediately put it on my library request list since a good, 101-level introduction to current disability discourse is just a very good idea to read full stop, but highly relevant to my life. And if it got the NTE stamp of approval, then it was an easy choice for me.
At work we’re taking part in an IMLS funded project in partnership between the NYU Ability Project and the Intrepid Museum that is focused on improving the visitor experience in Historic Sites which make up almost half of all museums in the United States. The final product will be an eBook, Sensory Tools for Interpreting Historic Sites, that offers concrete strategies to increase visitor engagement at museums of all sizes, while supporting visitors with a wide range of physical, sensory, cognitive, or behavioral abilities. As we move towards reinterpreting our historic home and sharing what tools work for us in order to support our visitors (including making our accessible entrance our main entrance), it’s important that the team is as up to date as possible, and since I’m recently added to it, I wanted to make sure I was as well.
Disabled people are an estimated 15% of the world’s population but too often disability remains a mystery, sometimes even to those of us who find ourselves disabled later in life. In Demystifying Disability Ladau keeps the conversation simple and direct while weaving in her own experiences into the wider conversations being discussed. Ladau aims to builds towards understanding and human connection, and by and large accomplishes just that.
This book discusses topics such as disability etiquette, how to talk about disability, recognizing and addressing ableism, and portrayals of disability in the media. Ladau pulls in her own anecdotes and those of many other disabled activists to provide as many different lenses as possible onto the lived experiences that are part and parcel of the disabled community. Ladau discusses the importance of understanding intersectionality pointing out on multiple occasions in the book that we all live it differently and part of the beauty of Demystifying Disability is that Ladau is intentional in her attempts to leave room at the table for nearly everyone and show/remind others to do the same.