The Disability Experience - (Orca Issues) by Hannalora Leavitt (Paperback)

About the Book

This nonfiction book for teens provides a history of disability, describes types of disabilities and examines the challenges faced by people living with disabilities.

Book Synopsis

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 in order 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.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Review Quotes

"Leavitt has created more than just an informative introduction to disability--this book is a compelling disability experience that ensnares readers in the lives of real people with real disabilities living their lives just like anyone else. Amidst the real-life accounts and definitions, the author emphasizes the social model, the idea that society's lack of understanding and accommodations is the disabling factor. This is a comprehensive, eye-opening disability primer."

--Kara Dorris, PhD, visiting assistant professor of English at Illinois College

"The book would be useful for reports, but its strength is a narrative voice that asks readers to contemplate another point of view...A strong...introduction to disabilities."-- "School Library Journal (SLJ)"

"Easy-to-follow...Offers readers who have little knowledge of people with disabilities a crash course in understanding - rather than fearing - the unfamiliar."-- "Quill & Quire"

"An engaging, conversational writing style...The Disability Experience does an excellent job of explaining the disability experience and should be required reading for all teens (and adults, too). Highly Recommended."-- "CM: Canadian Review of Materials"

"A candid introduction to the multifaceted experiences of people with disabilities."-- "Kirkus Reviews"