Reading
Time
Lockdown has seen the disabled community effectively isolated more than ever before. Families challenged to adapt to a life without support networks are bingeing on Netflix, Xboxes, and box sets. Social media and Zoom have kept the sanity for many families, while many of us have taken the time to digest literature like never before. Nothing pretentious (unless lying on Twitter), but good, absorbing literature focused on our community. To that end, I present my essential lockdown disability reads.
BY DAN WHITE
BEING HUEMANN BY JUDITH HUEMANN This was essential after stumbling across the Netflix documentary, “CripCamp”. Judith’s groundbreaking biography is the honest work of someone who must go down as one of the greatest disability rights activists in history. I am ashamed that up until seeing the movie, I had not heard of Judith’s fight against the discriminatory American political system, especially her rallying call to arms for equality which culminated in a 10-day sit-in in the offices of the San Francisco office of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1977. This incredible stance which involved a glorious mix of disabilities and ages helped change the landscape for disability rights across the United States. The book is empowering and the passion for the disability community literally drips from the pages. Judith comes across as gregarious, generous, and shares the credit around. The book is a must for anyone interested in disability history. It’s a rallying call for our children’s generation because it inspires without being inspirational. Beautiful.
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posabilitymagazine.co.uk
FIRST IN THE WORLD SOMEWHERE BY PENNY PEPPER I’ve known Penny for many years and if you meet her you will be instantly in love. She is passionate and extraordinary. Penny’s memoir sticks out from other disability life stories in that it is equally frank, funny, and fiercely political. This book is what all life stories should contain, sex, music, parties, and punk! Penny’s writing is brisk and punchy, her life, her words, break many taboos, and why not? Disability doesn’t mean sainthood. Penny has much to say and is brutally honest about it. From the emotional early days which seeded her activism, Penny has provoked and challenged the world around her, challenged it to accept that wheelchair or not, everyone is deserving of a shot and everyone has the right to be expressive. She doesn’t shy away from the occasional terrible moments, and that is imperative as we see her progression from childhood to poet, punk, and the author she is now. Awesome book, witty, different, and fearless.
