Disability Awareness: Do It Right!: Your all-in-one how-to guide

by Mary Johnson

Tips, techniques & handouts for a successful Awareness Day event, from the Ragged Edge online community.

Genres: Disability, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 2006

About the author

Mary Johnson was the founder of The Disability Rag magazine (later the Ragged Edge), which was published from 1980 through 1996. Her writings about the U.S. disability rights movement appeared in many U.S. publications during the 1980s and 1990s.

Reviews

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely useful and taught me a lot about a subject I thought I already knew well--how to make people aware of discrimination against people with disabilities. In 72 pages (with another 34 pages of appendices) the authors produce a clear strategy for understanding the issues related to being disabled, which are primarily due to lack of accessibility and respect, not physical or cognitive impairment.

In logical and succinct prose, a series of activities are described that should replace the poorly-designed disability simulation exercises one often sees on disability awareness days, ones where non-disabled people use appliances to simulate physical impairment. The authors point out correctly that it would be a much better exercise to interact with a person who has a disability, and discuss or observe the challenges they face in the "ableist" world. People with disabilities understand their own situation well, so why not talk to them about it?

The book does much to tear away the blinders many of us wear in regards to disability, making apt comparisons to social changes related to racism, sexism and homophobia. After working with amputees for many years, I was surprised to discover that I am still learning.

My only quibble is that the book could use some proofreading: there were many typos that sometimes made the text confusing. Aside from that, I am glad I bought this book.