Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century

Unabridged Selections

By: Alice Wong

Narrated by: Alejandra Ospina, Alice Wong

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent - but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

From original pieces by up-and-coming authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma, to blog posts, manifestos, eulogies, Congressional testimonies, and beyond: This anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites listeners to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. 

©2020 Alice Wong (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An exemplary collection...This month’s #RequiredReading.” (Ms. Magazine)

Missing stories

This book is great and the narrator does an amazing job. There are two missing chapters, and I’m not sure if that’s intentional or a huge oversight. I’ve never experienced this with any audible book before this, but unlike me I know some people don’t follow along with a physical copy of a book. Those readers wouldn’t know they missed two of the essays. Besides missing “Unspeakable Conversations” & “Love Means Never Having to Say ... Anything” this book is beautifully done.

Must read!

The authors, Both contributors and editor, wrote beautiful, transportive, transformative stories. The narrator has a shining voice. I feel represented. May as many people as possible read this book. May disabled readers feel seen and empowered, and may non-disabled readers, whether allied yet or not, step into and appreciate our world. May all readers find something to learn along the way. Many thanks to all who made this work of art possible.

Incredible!

Exactly what we need! highly recommend to all disabled folx, stepping into our identities in new ways<3

Jawdropping stories

I'm glad this book is out. I'm pissed off by some of the stories cause the abusive treatment of the authors should not have happened.

Must read for EVERYONE!

A comprehensive education of modern day Disability Rights told through first person stories and experiences of Disabled individuals. Beautifully written and edited. Job well done to Alice Wong and all of the individuals who shared their accounts.

So needed

The disabled and especially the abled need to read these first person narratives of discrimination and ablesim that are plaguing our world. Especially the story highlighting the need for disability to be included in civil rights fights of the day such as in black lives matter.

Knocked My Socks Off

Every individual contribution to this volume is exquisite and brilliant. As a whole, it is a masterpiece — one cannot listen/read with open mind and heart and not be affected. It absolutely merits “required reading” designation. Thanks to each and every person who reached deep and shared their stories. Here’s to a diverse and inclusive tomorrow!

Worth Reading

The stories are informative, inspire additional reading and calls policies and social norms into question.

An Amazing Book!-- Highly Recommended.

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was an amazing experience. I thought the narrators were clear. -- Also you get to listen to Alice Wong tell her story as well which was a plus! With regards to the content, I learned new things and got glimpse of what it means to live with a disability and how to be a better ally and adovocate for Disbiality Justice.

A must read

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It helped me question my own ableism and listen to perspectives I had never hear before.

This book is really important and I wish they would translate it to other languages like Spanish so more people can benefit from it!

Everyone should listen!

Extremely enlightening and diverse experiences. I thought I understood a good bit about disability but this has really broadened my view. I love all the angles it takes from motherhood, transport, creativity etc. Important and I hope to see more like this from other contexts in the world beyond America. Definitely listen/read.

An insightful collection, beautifully read.

This thought-provoking and insightful collection of essays shines a spotlight at a time when society may be ready to acknowledge - and, perhaps, finally, seek to benefit from - disability. The myriad stories show a depth and range of emotion to the lived experiences of disabled people which is usually lacking in mainstream representation. It is an important and vital window into the mechanics of living ordinary lives in an indifferent and unprepared world. Alejandra Ospina does a fantastic job narrating, bringing an engaging perspective and cadence to the storied and diverse material assembled by Alice Wong. Hopefully a second volume of this project is not too far away!

crucial insights into disability activism

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to these first person accounts of moving through the world as a disabled person. The book highlights varied experiences of disability & I appreciated the emphasis on black and queer disabled people.

Brilliant!

A fantastic, important and varied collection of essays on disability, queerness and neurodivergence. Well worth reading.