Not Without Us: Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion in Singapore

by Kuansong Victor Zhuang (Editor), Meng Ee Wong (Editor), Dan Goodley (Editor)

Disability is all around us—among people we meet, the media, sports, our own family and friends. Undeniably, all of us have or will one day come to experience or encounter disability. But how can we reckon with the realities of those who live with disability, or its reality in our own lives? In a city-state slowly moving towards inclusion, how do those meant to be 'included' feel about such efforts? Not Without Us: perspectives on disability and inclusion in Singapore is a groundbreaking collection of essays that takes a creative and critical disability studies approach to centre disability, and rethink the ways in which we research, analyse, think and know about disability in our lives. Across multiple domains and perspectives, the writings in this volume consider what it means to live with disability in a purportedly inclusive and accessible Singapore.

Genres: Nonfiction, Disability

404 pages, Paperback

Published January 7, 2023

Reviews

[aqilahreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

not without us is a collection of essays that takes a creative & critical disability studies approach to centre disability in society. ⁣⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. yalllll im speechless i love this book sm that i really want everyone to go pick it up right now & read!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭 also i might be a lil bias bc the topics are of my interest 😍 i love how they are brutally raw & honest - im glad that i was able to relate to my own experiences as well as someone who has been working around people w/ disabilities. there are lots of things that i really wanted to s̵c̵r̵e̵a̵m̵ ̵a̵t̵ ̵s̵o̵m̵e̵ ̵i̵n̵s̵e̵n̵s̵i̵t̵i̵v̵e̵ ̵p̵p̵l̵s̵ ̵w̵h̵o̵ ̵d̵o̵n̵t̵ ̵g̵i̵v̵e̵ ̵a̵ ̵s̵h̵i̵t̵ ̵ say more in depth ((but sometimes just dont have the right words)) and this!!! book!! truly spread these messages across v well. 🥹 im just glad that i wasnt the only one who felt about certain things in terms of the accessibility & inclusivity in singapore......⁣⁣⁣⁣
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personally this book means a lot to me bc of a lot of reasons but i love how it shows how far we have come, how the society is making an effort to raise disability awareness & encouraging us all to do the same. all change starts w/ awareness and we, as human beings, are capable of becoming more aware, of asking better questions, & then making better choices which can be translated into real action. slowly but surely w/ the right intentions, we will get there 🙌⁣⁣⁣⁣
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reading this book is such a great start to look at disabilities; that there is not only one disability & understanding what invisible disabilities are & why they matter. ok omg i really have so much to say but at this point, i felt that its a must read for all & i truly believe in the impact of reading a book, that we, as readers, are capable to benefit & reflect from what we are reading and have the ability to put ourselves in the position of others. i hope that we can use that capability to start spreading some awareness w/ people around us & together, we can work towards a more caring & inclusive society 💚⁣⁣⁣⁣
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// thank you @ethosbooks for the ARC ✨

[Yukai Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of real life stories of different PWD( persons with disabilities) . In this book, we read how they got their disability , their struggles and how they learn to live with their disability and overcome them.

[Kes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ok book - various essays on disability. Essays of varying quality.

Interesting essays:

- The 'Right' Way to Sign: Sign Language, Inclusion and the Deaf Community in Singapore - basically, there are a few different sign languages; there is a question of which one is used. Writer seems to be an academic, but writes in an accessible way.

- And Suddenly We Appear: Reflections on Disability Arts by Alvan Yap - "Another common perception of disabled people in Singapore, is encapsulated in the phrase used to describe us in the media, particularly in conjunction with fundraising appeals: "the less fortunate". The result is that disability art ends up in yet another charity ghetto, creating yet another stereotype of disability, and hence the persistent notion that the quality of art produced by disabled persons is necessarily inferior to that of non-disabled peers. The purpose of such art, at least for those publicly shown or sold, appears to be about raising awareness and funds, rather than appreciating their intrinsic qualities."

- Meritocracy and Disability in Singapore: the Curious Case of Pathlight School in the Present Time by ME (pseudonym, but seriously, he should have picked a better one. I thought it was "me", like the pronoun).

On the bad side: the last two essays were... uhh.. extremely academic. Daryl Yang's essay talked about rights and disability rights activism. It points out that the DPA (Disabled People's Association) focuses more on bread and butter issues, steering clear of rights activism. It's interesting, because when you talk about the philosophy of rights - there is a corresponding duty. No one in this whole book talks about: "what are the duties are disabled person (or non-neurotypical person) owes to society? Is this the same as a neurotypical person?" Other essays kind of skirt around this at various points: the view that disabled people must be productive and judged against the meritocratic narrative. (But then again, and in general: no one really thinks about corresponding duties. Rights are sexy. Duties are not.)

The ending essay by Jace Tay was full of rage when asking for change - but very fluffy change. By fluffy, I mean adding disability to the constitution, asking for systematic change... which is a cool idea in theory. But after reading the other essays which are more "bread and butter" - e.g. Singapore implements sign language. Which sign language do they implement? How do they change? - I'm reminded that the devil is in the details. Jace has a meta analysis of various academia articles (both Singaporean and non-Singaporean), and she uses her personal history to ground the essay - but when you put this against the other personal essays in this volume grounded by lived interviews with other people, it's an essay that falls flat. (I'm not even going to go into the details, where she rages against "neurotypical standards" - which are never defined.)

[May Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a local context, this book led the readers in onto the issue of disabilities (including invisible disabilities), its definition, labels cast upon these groups and the lived experience of both the disabled, their caregiver and the community in Singapore.

The book is divided into 3 parts. First part of the book brought the readers in into the different realm of lived experiences and identities about the different disability illnesses. Deaf-blindness, autism, anxiety disorders were some of the examples. Second part highlights and place focus on how disability is being portray to the masses in Singapore, typically in the arts and media industry, as well as the struggles faces for the various spectrum of disability illness co-existing with the special-ed education. A part of the book highlighted the flaws of both mainstream AND special-ed school in Singapore, the elitist mindset hidden within an already low social rung of this vulnerable group in a meritocratic Singapore. But of course, hope is lost as I must say the authors came up with laudable recommendations to thrive in a marginalized society.

The third and final part of the book discussed on how we can play a better part to promote inclusion and inclusivity in an ageing population. It introduced the concept of "ableism" its negative impact and how "ableism" is in congruence in ageism and/or disability.

Whether is it disability or invisible disability, this book is highly recommended to the able-bodied. Guilt was a feeling that came up when I read this and it has definitely shape my perspectives on inclusion and disability. The book is full of nuances and all hope is not lost, despite the bleakness of it.

Just an excerpt to share:

Inclusiveness: Help or Harm?

"It is perplexing to those who are trying to be helpful when they unwittingly end up being accused of doing harm. Despite good intentions, to be 'empowering' or 'inclusive', helping behaviour sometimes hurts. Just the language alone is a minefield that needs to be trodden carefully."

[typewriternoises · Rating 3 out of 5]

very uneven, as essay collections of this kind usually are. but some of the essays were truly so moving and impactful. i will remember the dementia article for a long time. i also apprecitaed the critique of meritocracy and capitalism as models that contrived economic value out of disabled folks in exchange for their inclusion in society. and inclusion of neurodivergence and mental health conditions in the definition of disability. im glad this collection exists!

[Bel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to see an anthology of this kind in a localised setting. The perspectives are important and there are some standout pieces such as those by Ho, Tay, and Chia and Tan. However, the similarity in tones makes it seems a little over-edited and there is, ironically, space for more disabled-led and varied voices.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very eye opening and informative, especially the first chapter about lived realities and identities. It’s a great start to get yourself educated on the topic of disability and inclusion.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always wanted to read about disability in SG. This was a very good book.

[Hon Kar Yee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-edited and insightful collection of essays offering perspectives on disability relating to different topics (from the lenses of disabled persons themselves and/or people who have interacted with persons of disabilities). The book title is shortened from the phrase "Nothing about us without us", which conveys the idea that policies affecting disabilities etc should involve the full and direct participation of disabled persons.