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bb_laurens's review against another edition
3.0
While dry, "Enabling Acts" by Lennard J. Davis had some insightful information about what it took to get the ADA passed, even mentioning some personal struggles that were happening behind the scenes.
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"I said, 'Which of you here can define "undue hardship"?' There was silence. I said, 'John?' He had the answer. So Wodatch remained since no one else, apparently, could go through the legislative process and knew in detail what the act meant."
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"I said, 'Which of you here can define "undue hardship"?' There was silence. I said, 'John?' He had the answer. So Wodatch remained since no one else, apparently, could go through the legislative process and knew in detail what the act meant."
tansybradshaw's review against another edition
informative
4.5
Even though it's American I found the book fascinating and engaging. It made me realise that Australia is a long way behind even though we are a first world country.
I recommend this book for anyone interested with disabilities and human rights.
I recommend this book for anyone interested with disabilities and human rights.
courtneyfalling's review against another edition
4.0
I read most of this book a few years ago, so technically this was a reread! During my first read, I was working on my first-ever college paper explicitly about disability (specifically the passage of the ADA), and since then, I've gone on to concentrate in health, illness, and disability studies and deeply pursue disability and chronic illness advocacy, so I was in a much different headspace while reading this time. Strangely enough, though, I found myself reacting in similar and remembered ways: impressed by the level of detail this book has as a legislative history, frustrated by the representations of bipartisanship as necessary to passing any legislation and by extension as a helpful 'good,' invested in some individuals' stories and quirks but also overwhelmed by the sheer cast of policymakers, advocates, supporters, and people involved, emotional about the weight of communal disability history and futures.
Even though this is an immaculately researched book written as approachably as possible for its level of detail, I admittedly only reread it because of its assignment in a disability advocacy program I'm in. I don't think I would rely on Davis anymore for well-framed and engaged history, following his actions and comments related to the Disability Studies Reader: https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-disability-studies-scholars-are-protesting-a-prominent-textbook?cid=gen_sign_in. Even as this book frequently alludes to, the perspectives we develop and share in our personal lives and the perspectives we assert in overtly political spheres are deeply connected. I don't trust Davis's framing and analysis overall, given his other decisions.
Even though this is an immaculately researched book written as approachably as possible for its level of detail, I admittedly only reread it because of its assignment in a disability advocacy program I'm in. I don't think I would rely on Davis anymore for well-framed and engaged history, following his actions and comments related to the Disability Studies Reader: https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-disability-studies-scholars-are-protesting-a-prominent-textbook?cid=gen_sign_in. Even as this book frequently alludes to, the perspectives we develop and share in our personal lives and the perspectives we assert in overtly political spheres are deeply connected. I don't trust Davis's framing and analysis overall, given his other decisions.
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