Against Technoableism

Rethinking Who Needs Improvement

De: Ashley Shew

Narrado por: Maria Pendolino

When Ashley Shew became a self-described "hard-of-hearing chemobrained amputee with Crohn's disease and tinnitus," there was no returning to "normal." Suddenly well-meaning people called her an "inspiration" while grocery shopping or viewed her as a needy recipient of technological wizardry. Most disabled people don't want what the abled assume they want—nor are they generally asked.

In vibrant prose, Shew shows how we can create better narratives and more accessible futures by drawing from the insights of the cross-disability community. To forge a more equitable world, Shew argues that we must eliminate "technoableism"—the harmful belief that technology is a "solution" for disability; that the disabled simply await being "fixed" by technological wizardry; that making society more accessible and equitable is somehow a lesser priority.

This badly needed introduction to disability expertise considers mobility devices, medical infrastructure, neurodivergence, and the relationship between disability and race. The future, Shew points out, is surely disabled—whether through changing climate, new diseases, or even through space travel. It's time we looked closely at how we all think about disability technologies and learn to envision disabilities not as liabilities, but as skill sets enabling all of us to navigate a challenging world.

©2023 Ashley Shew Heflin (P)2023 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Everyone Should Read This

This is a quick listen and a great disabled-centered view of the world and our future. Giving this to non-disabled and disabled friends alike for solidarity, community, and education.

Thank you!

I clipped so many portions of this to share with others. The approach style and most of all content and meaning behind these words means so much to me and I’d imagine so many others. And ending on the note about children was so spot on. I work with children and am so grateful for the way they approach me and my devices, the smart questions they ask and the way they see me. L beyond my crutches. This carries me through and helps counter every awkward interaction I have with adults. Thank you for this book and for sharing these ideas with all of us!

Unfocused and controversial

This book is written just to console disabled people. It does not have any focus as touches upon so many social issues at the same time outside of disability. Mostly tryes to portray "white western Europeans" as evil. I will suggest the author to read more facts published by WHO and UN about the level of health, development, educational abilities between different countries. There is so much controversy in here - "we should celebrate disability", "People who have dwarfism experience disability, because everything is built too tall.", "People think that walking is a wonderful thing, we do not question it, and think it is worthwhile," etc. And what does homosexuality rights have to do with the topic of disability that the author pushes forward so hard. I personally did not like the book. This is an honest opinion from a social science student.