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Just Human: The Quest for Disability Wisdom, Respect, and Inclusion
Born without sight, Dr. Arielle Silverman has never missed the visual. Being blind never bothered her much but, as she grew, she discovered others saw her blindness very differently. Many people saw her as either helpless or inspirational, but rarely did they see her as just human, with the same capacities and desires as her peers.
Arielle has spent a lifetime exploring ways to foster respect and inclusion, not only for blind people like her, but for all of us whose bodies or minds differ from the norm.
In Just Human, she reflects on her formative years and presents unique anecdotes from her life that carry teachable moments for all of us. She recalls the feel of her mother’s embrace, the smell of her grandparents’ brisket, the inner sensations of a preteen crush, the music on her wedding day, and scholarly lessons from her dissertation research. Her words paint pictures from her mind’s a vision of a world where we can radically accept ourselves and our fellow humans, while at the same time work to change systems of inequality. As she writes of the past and the present, Arielle looks toward the future, considering how we can build a more inclusive world for those who come after us.
………..
“Just Human will inspire you… Not in the feel-good way some stories do, staying at the surface level of the lives of people with disabilities. Instead, Arielle’s memoir immerses you into the real-life reflections of a blind woman, from birth to adulthood. At times heartbreaking and at other times light-hearted, her narrative cloth methodically weaves in threads of disability history, theory, and wisdom. This vast compilation of experience, research, and applicable strategies has the potential to heal age-old misconceptions and stereotypes that perpetuate barriers to inclusion and equality. Arielle has done much of the work for us. Now we must be willing to dive below the surface to listen, human to human.”
—Sarah Mason, mother of a blind daughter, and educator of blind children and youth
Arielle has spent a lifetime exploring ways to foster respect and inclusion, not only for blind people like her, but for all of us whose bodies or minds differ from the norm.
In Just Human, she reflects on her formative years and presents unique anecdotes from her life that carry teachable moments for all of us. She recalls the feel of her mother’s embrace, the smell of her grandparents’ brisket, the inner sensations of a preteen crush, the music on her wedding day, and scholarly lessons from her dissertation research. Her words paint pictures from her mind’s a vision of a world where we can radically accept ourselves and our fellow humans, while at the same time work to change systems of inequality. As she writes of the past and the present, Arielle looks toward the future, considering how we can build a more inclusive world for those who come after us.
………..
“Just Human will inspire you… Not in the feel-good way some stories do, staying at the surface level of the lives of people with disabilities. Instead, Arielle’s memoir immerses you into the real-life reflections of a blind woman, from birth to adulthood. At times heartbreaking and at other times light-hearted, her narrative cloth methodically weaves in threads of disability history, theory, and wisdom. This vast compilation of experience, research, and applicable strategies has the potential to heal age-old misconceptions and stereotypes that perpetuate barriers to inclusion and equality. Arielle has done much of the work for us. Now we must be willing to dive below the surface to listen, human to human.”
—Sarah Mason, mother of a blind daughter, and educator of blind children and youth
- GenresMemoirDisability
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 13, 2021
Could not put this down.
As a mom to children with a disability and recent graduate of a social justice program I held onto this book with fierceness. Though I am a parent and do not have a disability, much of what the author shared, caused me to laugh , cry, and self reflect on how I advocate for my own children and teach them how to advocate for themselves. I hope this book reaches the hands of teachers, business leaders, scholars, doctors, everyone. Thank you.
As a mom to children with a disability and recent graduate of a social justice program I held onto this book with fierceness. Though I am a parent and do not have a disability, much of what the author shared, caused me to laugh , cry, and self reflect on how I advocate for my own children and teach them how to advocate for themselves. I hope this book reaches the hands of teachers, business leaders, scholars, doctors, everyone. Thank you.
April 11, 2023
Amazing book written by an amazing author. I laughed, I cried, and I hope I learned a few things. This book is a must for all humans, young and old. Thank you, Arielle, for sharing your story, your wisdom, your dreams, and your hopes for a better world to come.
November 8, 2021
truly worth while read!!!
This was a truly insightful read. I have been visually impaired all of my life but it even made me think about things. Through personal experiences and anicdotes the author expertly weaves in lessons and research in the areas of ableism, disability awareness, blindness philosophy, and so much more. The experiences she used to illustrate her points were well written, evoked human emotions, and were extremely relatable. The research and scholarly citations were also extremely well placed and strategic to valuable points made by the author. I hope to read more of her work "in future, and encourage others to read this book as soon as possible.
This was a truly insightful read. I have been visually impaired all of my life but it even made me think about things. Through personal experiences and anicdotes the author expertly weaves in lessons and research in the areas of ableism, disability awareness, blindness philosophy, and so much more. The experiences she used to illustrate her points were well written, evoked human emotions, and were extremely relatable. The research and scholarly citations were also extremely well placed and strategic to valuable points made by the author. I hope to read more of her work "in future, and encourage others to read this book as soon as possible.
July 15, 2024
Glad I read it. New perspective on employees people who are neurodiverse. Is there a different way to do the work as opposed to getting someone to fit into the current ways we do everything. Good to think about.
April 8, 2023
I found this book very informative and personal at the same time.
November 28, 2024
So well written! Great ‘behind the scenes’ of her life as a blind woman in a sighted world. Learned so much.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews