2023–2024 Common Read: Disability Visibility

 

“Disabled people have always existed, whether the word disability is used or not. To me, disability is not a monolith, nor is it a clear-cut binary of disabled and nondisabled. Disability is mutable and ever-evolving. Disability is both apparent and non apparent. Disability is pain, struggle, brilliance, abundance, and joy.”

-Alice Wong

Disability rights are human rights. Almost every person in the world has been impacted by disability in some way. If you think you haven’t, you aren’t looking closely enough. Yet even though any person can become disabled at any point in their life, disability is still stigmatized and marginalized. Disabled identities are rarely celebrated with pride, and conversations around equal access are often shoved to the side. Abled bodies, minds, and experiences control the narrative around what is a life worth living. 

Disability Visibility, an anthology of disabled experiences and voices, edited by activist Alice Wong, offers an alternative view of reality. In Disability Visibility, creators come together to show us how disability is the future. In a time where the Americans with Disabilities Act has recognized post-covid syndrome as a disability, acceptance of disability and a fight for equal rights is more relevant than ever.

St. Edward’s University and its students have a role to play in deciding how we value accessibility, now, on the dawn of this new age of disability awareness and justice. Regardless of your experience with disability, we hope that Disability Visibility will expand your view of disability and disabled people as a vibrant and resilient community that we can all stand to learn from. We are excited to welcome the St. Edward’s University Class of 2027 and challenge you to be introspective throughout your time here.

Sincerely,

Lys Royon and Esther Heymans
St. Edward’s University Class of 2023 and 2024

Person holding Disability Visibility book