WhenbioethicistandprofessorAshleyShewbecameaself-described“hard-of-hearingchemobrainedamputeewithCrohn’sdiseaseandtinnitus,“therewasnoreturningto“normal.“Suddenlywell-meaningpeoplecalledheran“inspiration“whilegroceryshoppingorviewedherasaneedyrecipientoftechnologicalwizardry.Mostdisabledpeopledon’twantwhattheabledassumetheywant--noraretheygenerallyasked.Almosteveryonewillexperiencedisabilityatsomepointintheirlives,yettheabledpersistentlyframedisabilityasanindividual’sproblemratherthanasocialone.Inawarm,feistyvoiceandvibrantprose,Shewshowshowwecancreatebetternarrativesandmoreaccessiblefuturesbydrawingfromtheinsightsofthecross-disabilitycommunity.Toforgeamoreequitableworld,Shewarguesthatwemusteliminate“technoableism“--theharmfulbeliefthattechnologyisa“solution“fordisability;thatthedisabledsimplyawaitbeing“fixed“bytechnologicalwizardry;thatmakingsocietymoreaccessibleandequitableissomehowalesserpriority.Thisbadlyneededintroductiontodisabilityexpertiseconsidersmobilitydevices,medicalinfrastructure,neurodivergence,andthecrucialrelationshipbetweendisabilityandrace.Thefuture,Shewpointsout,issurelydisabled--whetherthroughchangingclimate,newdiseases,oreventhroughspacetravel.It’stimewelookedcloselyathowweallthinkaboutdisabilitytechnologiesandlearntoenvisiondisabilitiesnotasliabilities,butasskillsetsenablingallofustonavigateachallengingworld.
