*I received this book for free from Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

This book was not quite what I was expecting when I picked it up. I was quite interested in the content, as I have a child with a disability, and I wanted to educate myself more on what she will experience in the world. This book absolutely delivers on that desire. This is an excellent primer on living with a disability and how the world views people with disabilities. 

To look at the cover of this book, I was expecting it to be in a graphic novel style format. Or to at least me a little more of a "fun" read. I quickly learned that this book is written more in the textbook style. Once I realized this was the case, I was able to enjoy the book and I learned a lot. The information within is very important, but I do feel that the cover is a little bit misleading.

The illustrations do make this book have some more personality than another non-fiction book on this subject might have. It is certainly targeted towards teens, but I also really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it as an adult. It brings awareness to the able-bodied masses of the types of situations that a person with disabilities has to deal with in their everyday life. The sections with people's real life experiences were the most compelling and helped to make it feel more real, rather than clinical. 

All in all, this is an excellent book to educate yourself on the experiences of people with disabilities and to bring awareness of potential prejudices that we might be harboring. I think this would be an excellent book for middle and high school librarians to have on their shelves. However, I truly feel that adults will also benefit from reading this book as well. 

I gave The Disability Experience 3 STARS. 

(I will come back and post my link when my blog post goes up on 4/12)

This book does a great job of celebrating people with disabilities and really makes you think about the world through their point of view!

Hi! This book was free on Net Galley read now in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Information about the book comes from Goodreads.

Title:  The Disability Experience: Working toward Belonging

Author: Hannalora Leavitt and Belle Wuthrich (Illustrations)

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Non-Fiction, and Own-Voices

Expected Publication: April 13th, 2021 from Orca Book Publishers

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55668824-the-disability-experience

 

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Goodreads Summary

 

People with disabilities (PWDs) have the same aspirations for their lives as you do for yours. The difference is that PWDs don’t have the same access to education, employment, housing, transportation, and healthcare to achieve their goals. In The Disability Experience, you’ll meet people with different kinds of disabilities, and you'll begin to understand the ways PWDs have been ignored, reviled, and marginalized throughout history. The book also celebrates the triumphs and achievements of PWDs and shares the powerful stories of those who have fought for change.

 

Overall

I saw this book on Net Galley Read Now, and I knew that I would want to read it. I’m glad I read it because even though I knew a lot about what they said in the book, I still enjoyed the experience and I still did learn some things. My favorite sections of the book were the ones that talked about people living with disabilities in real life. These sections showed that just because someone had some kind of disability, it didn’t mean that they were much different from you. This book featured people who had jobs, athletes, and we're helping people in their community. I love learning about these people and seeing what they were doing with their lives.

 

Writing

 

One of the reasons you read a Non-Fiction book is to learn something.  The book will teach you something about a topic, and you hope to come out knowing something more than what you knew when you started reading. The key thing about the writing of this book is that it is conversational, and it has a factual tone because it lets you know about people with all kinds of different disabilities. The writing is clear and the word choice makes this book easy to follow. What stood out for me about this book was that this covered a lot of different bases, giving information to the reader about specific types, and leaving room for research after you have finished reading. Information about disability services throughout the world, and how people can help disabled people is also found throughout the book.  Another reason I loved this book was that it talked about real people with disabilities, and it showed how they were living their daily lives. While this book might be geared towards Middle Grade and Young Adult, I think that even an adult could learn from reading this. A work of Non-Fiction can start a conversation, and this book is a great way to start talking about the topic of people with disabilities.

 

Photos and Illustrations

The photos in this book are excellent because it makes the reader see exactly what the people with disabilities look like. Each section that talks about a person with a disability in real life has a photo, and there are photo’s as you read through the rest of the book. The illustrations are great because it brings the reader into the life of a person with disabilities. Having the photos and illustrations only adds to and enhances what is being said in the book.

This is fine. I'm not 100% sure who the audience is, because at times it's too advanced for children and at others it's too simple for teens and adults. The tone is a little too formal, and the parts I liked were where the author relaxed a little. The author is blind so a lot of the information skews towards sensory disabilities. There are many, many pages about the ways that blind/low vision folks and d/Deaf folks have adapted technologies and then like half a page about canes and wheelchairs. The book also really prioritizes physically disabilities, and doesn't spend a lot of time (particularly in the second half) about neurodiversity and mental illness.

There is one particularly good chapter dealing with advocacy and the politics of disability. The author talks about eugenics, quality of life arguments, and the politics of the unborn. There's a lot more to be said, but it's a good introduction.

This book is super informative, both about disability rights in the United States and also in Canada. It was interesting to see how different life can be for disabled folks in the two countries.

This was an exciting book to read and review, as I myself have a disability. When I was first diagnosed with severe hearing loss and had to be fitted with hearing aids, I felt so isolated from those around me. This book was a great read because it will remind those with disabilities that they are not alone and that there is a whole community with shared experiences. 

Leavitt did a fantastic job, as she was able to speak from her own personal experiences as a blind woman. Having a disabled writer really added that extra layer to this book. What I also really enjoyed was the inclusion of other people’s stories of their experiences with different disabilities. Because the author does not have personal experience of other disabilities, this was a nice addition.

I think what I enjoyed the most was that this book not only covered a brief history of disabled people, but it also contained plenty of information regarding disability advocacy, and the steps that people in the abled community can take to make sure things are accessible to those with differing disabilities.

This book is an absolute ableist mess. As a disabled person, as someone whose research interests are in disability representation in books at middle grades and young adults, I am absolutely horrified by the ableism presented in this book. So much is misleading or flat out wrong, and there are glaring holes. I love the idea of this book and I wish I had something to hang to my tweens and teens about disability, but this is not it.

I thought that this was very informative however, it gave different and more information than I was expecting from it. I would definitely recommend this for young teens!

I felt this book was not what i thought it was going to be. It read like a textbook and gave information more on a learning level than hearing actual stories and getting to understand people. As a person who has studied and understood the field of working with others with disabilities this is something that i didn't personally need. Might be good for someone who wants to read to learn more about the field but not if you want to understand on a personal level of what disabilities are and how they affect everyone differently

As someone who works with people from all walks of life, this book helped me better understand people with disabilities and all of the obstacles they have to overcome. The book provides definitions, easy to understand explanations, and engaging pictures and blurbs about people who have those disabilities. It allows them to be brought to the forefront and hopefully, to not only offer representation but for people who may not fully understand or comprehend what it's like to live with a disability to get a glimpse at that just because someone has a disability doesn't mean they are any less.

I think the name is a bit of a misnomer. I was expecting an anthology of personal stories, but this is more like a primer on disabilities and accessibility. Don't get me wrong, it's good, it's just not as advertised. 

Despite being a PWD with a visual impairment, Leavitt writes with objectivity and is careful to ensure readers understand the disability experience is not one size fits all. The book is comprehensive and covers a wide range of topics. Leavitt briefly touches on issues like genetic testing and euthanasia, but she provides more of a general overview than an in-depth look at any specific topic. Most of the information focuses on Canada, and the US is mentioned peripherally, but there's still something for everyone. 

In the spirit of accessibility, Leavitt writes in a way that is easily understandable, and this book can be read by middle readers and adults alike. It's a great starting point for someone looking to better understand disabilities and accessibility issues, and it even helped me realize ways I can be more mindful of some of my friends who are PWDs. The actual content does feel a bit academic though, and the writing is a bit dry, so the illustrations, and pictures dispersed throughout the book help break up the monotony of the book. The design and the vibrant colors helped make the reading experience feel a little less like reading a textbook. 

I wish the individuals whose stories were highlighted had been more personal, but I definitely appreciate the intent and effort to provide raise awareness about PWDs. I'd definitely recommend this with the caveat that it's more informational and less biographical.

As a special education teacher in America , I found this book enlightening and wonderful to read. 

There definitely are differences between how individuals with disabilities are viewed and treated between Canada and the US but this book did a good job representing both 

I can see using this book in school with students as a supplemental read for a research project on acceptance, inclusion and understanding of disabilities.

The Disability Experience is a very informative book aimed mostly at people outside the very diverse community of people with disabilities. It explains in a very systematic way what different conditions mean, what are the official definitions and legal specificities - with a particular focus on Canada and sideline, the USA. There are different ways of perceiving, defining and living on an everyday basis disability hence the need of a deep understanding of the society. Although there is no dictionary good enough to explain what does it mean living with disabilities, this book is an useful guide for those trying to understand and therefore, maybe change their attitude towards it.
The author herself has a visual impairment thus she created more than a practical book but sharing an experience which, in the end, is empowering as well. We are living in times of unprecedent technical and medical advancement - globally - which can make the life of people with disabilities significantly better. There are important achievements to the everyday life of people in this condition. 
The illustrations are inspiring and bring a bit of dynamism to the writing which is sometimes too general and lukewarm. The individual stories of various people with disabilities make the story more engaging and individual.

This is insightful, especially as someone who has a disability. However, was expecting individual stories more than it being read similarly to a research paper.

I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could. It's a great mix of breadth and depth - great for the beginner, but even a seasoned accessibility person would learn something new. I especially found the history component especially insightful and informative to explain where we are today in the movement.

This was such an incredibly informative and educational read. The Disability Experience is perfect for all ages and is very inspiring!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Disability Experience was definitely an eye opener for me. Mostly because I like learning about things that I don't fully understand or haven't experienced in my life. So, no, I don't have any disabilities but that doesn't mean that I don't know anyone who does or doesn't either. My brother is autistic and he went through things that just upsets me. Just because he was different than everyone else at school and no one really knew back then what he had and how to deal with it. So they just kind of gave him passing grades and pushed him on to the next teacher/person.

That being said, I didn't experience anything that he went through but that doesn't mean I allowed anyone to treat him as a different person. He was normal boy who just didn't process things the way other people could. Doesn't mean you had to talk down to him or speak slowly. So when I saw certain people acting certain ways toward him, I would step in and tell them to not do that. Did I have to? No, because he would've eventually been upset and walked away. I won't really dive into the reasons why I did that and continue to do so... he's just family and I will also treat him as an older brother... and annoy the shit out of him from time to time.

Maybe I should talk about the book? Yeah - let's do that. So this book was definitely an eye opener for me. Again, I've never gone through any of this. I was shocked that airlines don't have better sitting areas or options on planes for people with disabilities. It was also a little heartbreaking to read about people who use animals - for seeing and such - and going places and people saying no animals allowed. If they have the vest stating they are working they should be allowed. That's just my two cents.

I also really enjoyed the details of each disability and the examples that were used. It was honestly interesting to read about celebrities and such who have these disabilities but continue to be a bad ass in their every day lives. These disabilities never held them back from their dreams and that's how it should be. Anything is possible.

Other than that, there was a picture about what braille looked like for numbers and letters. Since I never knew what this looked like I thought it was pretty cool to see the picture. I do think I would get confused with the numbers and letters that had the same pattern but I guess it would just be a trial and error sort of thing when reading? Not sure but I think it would be fun to learn. Also sign language - I knew the alphabet when I was younger but I don't really know how to sign anything other than that. So I think it would be cool to learn that as well.

In the end, I definitely enjoyed this book so much and I'm very happy that I got the chance to dive into it.

Excellent book! As a parent of two children on the autism spectrum I appreciate how easy to understand this book was. This book celebrates the accomplishments of people with disabilities and the obstacles they have overcome. This book is written in a way that children as young as middle school age can understand and benefit from the information in this book. Well written and beautifully illustrated, this book should be required reading for everyone.

This book was pretty great overall! Even though it provides a lot of information that almost feels like reading a textbook (except for the fact that the author often talks in first person), I really liked the approach that was made by using resources like pictures, real-life empowering examples, and beautiful illustrations. 

In this book, we understand through different topics such as sports, communication, relationships, family, politics, work, entertainment, and more, how people with disabilities (PWDs) live and we get a little insight into how they feel through the author's perspective (which is kind of a generalization). I really liked how it was written, I appreciate many details such as the ones I mentioned before, the glossary at the end of the book, and the fact that the author is inviting us, to be part of the change for PDWs and to speak out for those who are not able to. I liked seeing how there are countries that are working towards inclusion, however, I felt like it missed a little in mentioning places that weren't the United States or Canada, but I guess that's what the author got to study when working on this book. 

I feel like this book should be one of those that must be put on schools, libraries, institutions, and on our bookshelves. Let's take part in the construction of a more inclusive world!

(I'm stuck between 3 and 4 stars)
I love that this book exists. It sets a strong precedent for more books of this nature, and for that, it deserves praise! I particularly enjoyed the application of the social model of disability throughout the book; it was informative and heart warming to see it discussed so thoroughly! The author talked mainly about her own experiences, and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to read about them!

This book works well as an introduction to disabilities, and the social model, but I couldn't help feeling like it wasn't enough. I was expecting a in-depth discussion of a variety of disabilities that people may not necessarily talk about and the barriers that exist in society. Instead, I got a very detailed insight into the author's personal experience. While this is not a bad thing at all, it was disappointing considering what the book promised! It would have been nice to see more discussion from a more diverse group of people!

Overall though, I liked this book. It was really validating to read about, and I definitely learnt something! I think this book should be taught in schools. 

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book! All opinions are 100% my own :)