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A review by gwstoryqueen32
Able-Bodied Like Me: Navigating & balancing cultures from the seat of my pants by Matt Glowacki
5.0
This book is recommended reading for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of life from the perspective of a person with a disability, in this case, a wheelchair user born without legs. The author recounts navigating life through his childhood, college, employment and relationships. He speaks with candor and shows a sarcastic sense of humor. Each chapter includes a question to prompt reflection from the reader. All people whether they are disabled or abled have their own dreams, conflicts and fears and their own ways of facing them.
The narrative takes us through the life of a man growing up before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Common issues Glowacki faced were accessibility to buildings without ramps or elevators, doubtful doctors, anxious parents, and a wide range of responses from confused classmates, strangers and even friends. Glowacki rightly points out the personal bias and misconceptions that he has had to ignore or correct when facing new people, and how easy it is to want to "pass" as normal rather than address fifty questions about his condition. He has mastered all the essential parts of living a fulling, romantic and adventurous life. He acknowledges his own mistakes and how they helped him develop his character. The bottom line is that he doesn't internalize his identity as a person with a disability. This book should be recommended reading in all schools and colleges. Even if people with disabilities have legal protections now, the hardest part is changing social attitudes about a person's physical and intellectual capabilities.
The narrative takes us through the life of a man growing up before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Common issues Glowacki faced were accessibility to buildings without ramps or elevators, doubtful doctors, anxious parents, and a wide range of responses from confused classmates, strangers and even friends. Glowacki rightly points out the personal bias and misconceptions that he has had to ignore or correct when facing new people, and how easy it is to want to "pass" as normal rather than address fifty questions about his condition. He has mastered all the essential parts of living a fulling, romantic and adventurous life. He acknowledges his own mistakes and how they helped him develop his character. The bottom line is that he doesn't internalize his identity as a person with a disability. This book should be recommended reading in all schools and colleges. Even if people with disabilities have legal protections now, the hardest part is changing social attitudes about a person's physical and intellectual capabilities.