Jasbir Puar's "Right to Maim" offers a similar critique of assimilationist aspirations.Ī Disability History of the United States by Kim E. The book limits itself to the struggle of people with disabilities to gain acceptance and inclusion into a fundamentally ableist society, in which "difference" is tolerated so long as one contributes "value." I would have liked to have seen more of a focus on movements that recognize the importance of transforming oppressive social structures, like colonialism and industrialization, rather than mere acceptance into colonialist and industrialized societies. However, the implications of Nielsen's critiques aren't born out by her focus. And she includes many instances of people resisting oppression and fighting for their lives. Nielsen addresses the negative effects of early liberal reforms focused on institutionalizing and"remediating" people with disabilities. Industrialization intensified the number of people with disabilities (due to unsafe living and working conditions) and the ways in which people with disabilities are oppressed. Historically, disability has been bound up with oppression (women, queers, poor people, and POC have all been understood as disabled at times) and with assumptions about one's ability to engage in productive labor. While providing only a brief survey of disability in the US, Nielsen consistently reminds readers that disability is stratified by race, gender, class, and sexuality. As Kim Nielsen writes, disability is “our story, the story of someone we love, the story of whom we may become, and it is undoubtedly the story of our nation.” Included are absorbing-at times horrific-narratives of blinded slaves being thrown overboard and women being involuntarily sterilized, as well as triumphant accounts of miners organizing strikes and disability rights activists marching on Washington.Įngrossing and revelatory, A Disability History of the United States reconstructs our nation’s story-from a narrow master narrative to a shared history that encompasses us all. The book abounds with compelling stories pulled from primary documents and social histories to retell American history through the eyes, words, and impressions of the people who lived it.
Throughout the book Kim Nielsen illustrates how concepts of disability have deeply shaped the American experience-from deciding who was allowed to immigrate to establishing labor laws and justifying slavery and gender discrimination. The first book to cover the entirety of disability history, from pre-1492 to the presentīy placing the experiences of people with disabilities at the center of the American story, A Disability History of the United States fundamentally reinterprets how we view our nation’s past.
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