Book recommendation: About Us

About Us

About Us is a series of personal narratives about and reflections on what it's like to navigate a world not built for one.

The book is based on a groundbreaking New York Times column series that had its debut in 2016. With their essays, the authors address both the general reader and those who would like to reach a deeper understanding of what it is like to live with a disability. They explore not only aspects of social justice and ethics, but also moments that reflect the diversity of human experiences—for example, first love, shame and isolation in childhood, exclusion, professional ambitions, bearing children, becoming parents, and growing old.

The writers represent a wide spectrum of voices and experience. Among them are students, artists, poets, novelists, journalists, doctors and activists, and people with physical, movement, sensory and cognitive differences. Their accounts are testimony not only to the social, institutional, and legal barriers they encounter, but also to the ingenuity, persistence, and cleverness with which they find their way through—and sometimes break down—the barriers.

The book contains about 60 essays, which appeared weekly over a period of two years. With their stories, the authors reached thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of the New York Times' readers. Often the stories sparked straightforward and passionate conversations with readers, during which unexpected connections between people emerged and stereotypes and misconceptions were broken down. In doing so, the authors helped create a space where people with disabilities can be seen and heard as they are -- not as others perceive them.

If you want to delve into a specific topic, the book has a detailed table of contents, and the 60 essays are divided into eight main topics and chapters such as belonging, work, mastery, love, family and joy. In the back of the book, there is a list of the authors with a few lines about each.

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