megyeager's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
3.5
This book was assigned to me for a grad school class and while I did learn a lot, I'm taking off a point because this book was not written by a person who has a disability which I feel changes the message of disability history. I'm also a bit disappointed that the book finishes it's narrative around the passage of the ADA yet has a publication date of 2012. I would love to hear more about the strides that disabled people have made in the years since the ADA and hear a few personal narratives from disabled activists of the 2000s, but this book fell short in that regard.
danicapage's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite of the series. I’m not sure what I was hoping for or wanting but this didn’t quite hit that mark for me. But it was still really good
Having said that, this is a great primer and we need a lot more books about disabilities and disabled people on history.
Also very interesting to see how much of the Puritan ideas about disabilities prevail today.
Perhaps it was just too broad and tried to tackle too much all at once.
Having said that, this is a great primer and we need a lot more books about disabilities and disabled people on history.
Also very interesting to see how much of the Puritan ideas about disabilities prevail today.
Perhaps it was just too broad and tried to tackle too much all at once.
jenna_smuszkiewicz's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
This book is so important to read. I read this for my disability class in college. It's well-paced and so well-written and researched. It showcases multiple viewpoints on disability and how disability has intersected with racism and sexism along with other forms of oppression.
This brought up a lot of good history that I didn't know about and there are stories here that are still so relevant today. This makes me want to share that history and get more involved in disability movements
This brought up a lot of good history that I didn't know about and there are stories here that are still so relevant today. This makes me want to share that history and get more involved in disability movements
latisha's review
2.0
I was planning on giving it 3 stars until it abruptly ended with the passing of the ADA in 1990. Disability history in the US didn’t end 33 years ago!
It’s definitely worth while for a broad history but I knew a non-disabled person wrote this well before she said so…it was truly torturous to read “people with disabilities” so many times. I literally gasped the first time I read ‘disabled people’ in here and it sadly only happened one more time (excluding quotations). While disability history is for everyone I think a disabled person writing THE book on it in America would have had a lot of insight not seen in this one.
It’s definitely worth while for a broad history but I knew a non-disabled person wrote this well before she said so…it was truly torturous to read “people with disabilities” so many times. I literally gasped the first time I read ‘disabled people’ in here and it sadly only happened one more time (excluding quotations). While disability history is for everyone I think a disabled person writing THE book on it in America would have had a lot of insight not seen in this one.
carrienation76's review against another edition
3.0
This is a solid introductory read for those seeking to learn more about the history of sickness and disability in the United States. Nielsen takes care to expand the narrative to include the experiences of Native Americans, enslaved Africans, African Americans, Asian immigrants, and Asian Americans. The book is about 185 pages of content and it's a lot to fit in, so most sections stay at a cursory level. Still, Nielsen takes the time to present short vignettes in each section about the lived experiences of individuals. Certainly worth a read to familiarize one's self with the timeline.
lenoirleon's review against another edition
4.0
From the chapter on Native Americans and how they used sign language and worked to make sure that every member of a community could be included in work and social roles to discussions of pensions for Revolutionary and Civil War veterans to discussions of both IDEA and ADA and how they shape life for disabled people, this book covered loads of history I was not aware of. A section on Ellis island and reasons for refusing entrance made me think of the immigration issues we face today. The sections on Helen Keller were few and far between (I need to read the author’s books on her specifically, when I have time), but that made me realize two things:
1)She is one of many disabled people that lived in the United States
2) She was fortunate in the fact that her family had funds and she had advocates who, at first, helped her find her voice, and that she was allowed to share her views.
1)She is one of many disabled people that lived in the United States
2) She was fortunate in the fact that her family had funds and she had advocates who, at first, helped her find her voice, and that she was allowed to share her views.
shelvedamongthestars's review against another edition
5.0
A must-read. Very happy this was available as an audiobook!