| BIBLIOGRAPHY |
Includes bibliographical references (page 245-256) |
| Contents |
Speaking for myself -- Disabled isn't a bad word -- Physical ableism is real, and it's harmful... -- ...verbal ableism is just as harmful -- Self-acceptance is a journey, not a destination -- I'm not here to be your inspiration... nor am I the tragic hero -- Selfies are statements for me and other disabled people -- Disabled poeople are worthy romantic partners -- Disabled and beautiful belong in the same sentence -- Wheelchairs (and other mobility aids and assistive devices) are freedom, not confinement -- Repression matters in pop culture, from TV to toys -- The future of fashion is accessible -- Family matters -- The future simply has to be more inclusive and intersectional -- Epilogue: letter to me seventeen-year-old self. |
| Summary |
"In the summer of 2019, journalist Melissa Blake penned an op-ed for CNN Opinion. A conservative pundit caught wind of it, mentioning Blake’s work in a YouTube video. What happened next is equal parts a searing view into society, how we collectively view and treat disabled people, and the making of an advocate. After a troll said that Blake should be banned from posting pictures of herself, she took to Twitter and defiantly posted three smiling selfies, all taken during a lovely vacation in the Big Apple: I wanted desperately to clap back at these vile trolls in a way that would make a statement, not only about how our society views disabilities, but also about the toxicity of our strict and unrealistic beauty standards. Of course I knew that posting those selfies wasn't going to erase the nasty names I'd been called and, the chances were, they would never even see my tweet, but that didn't matter. I wasn't doing it for them; I was doing it for me and every single disabled person who has been bullied before, online and in real life. When people mock how I look, they're not just insulting me. They're insulting all disabled people. We're constantly told that we're repulsive and ugly and not good enough to be seen. This was me pushing back against that toxic, ableist narrative. For the first time, I felt like I was doing something empowering, taking back my power and changing the story. Her tweet went viral, attracting worldwide media attention and interviews with the BBC, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, PEOPLE magazine, Good Morning America and E! News. Now, in her manifesto, Beautiful People, Blake shares her truths about disability, writing about (among other things): the language we use to describe disabled people ableism, microaggressions, and their pernicious effects what it's like to live in a society that not only isn't designed for you, but actively operates to render you invisible her struggles with self‑image and self‑acceptance the absence of disabled people in popular culture why disabled people aren't tragic heroes Blake also tells the stories of some of the heroes of the disability rights movement in America, in doing so rescuing their incredible achievements from near total obscurity. Highlighting other disabled activists and influencers, Blake’s work is the calling card of a powerful voice—one that has sparked new, different, better conversations about disability." -- Publisher's website. |
| Subject |
Blake, Melissa (Blogger)
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Human rights workers -- United States -- Biography.
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People with disabilities -- United States -- Biography.
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Civil rights workers -- United States -- Biography.
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People with disabilities -- Social conditions
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Human rights
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Civil rights
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| Genre |
Autobiographies.
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Biographies.
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| Other title |
My thirteen truths about disability |
| ISBN |
9780306830426
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0306830426
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