Disability Pride : Dispatches from a Post-ADA World (Hardcover)

As with any grouping of human beings, we, members of the disabled community, are no monolith. We have widely divergent views on a variety of topics that impact each of us, including thoughts on physician-assisted suicide, identity politics, self-identifying terminology, diversity within the leadership of disability activism, and so much more. Veteran, accomplished author Ben Mattlin does a phenomenal job at addressing the aforementioned topics and more as they've presented themselves since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act more than twenty-two years ago. While giving the appropriate deference to a variety of viewpoints within and experts regarding each topic, Mattlin's lifetime of experience as a disabled person in America lends additional insight into every chapter. As someone who's experienced life both before and after passage of the ADA, he's keenly aware of the progress and limitations of both the governmental and community-based efforts to ensure equitable civil and human rights for all disabled Americans. I've read each of Mattlin's books, and he seems to best his previous efforts every time. Disability Pride presents as equal parts treatise on a particularly complex subject matter and love letter to a community Mattlin is undoubtedly proud of. An absolute must-read.