I’m hoping to find words for this reading experience to share here, but know that it was profound and feels pretty life-changing right now EDIT: So, I tried with the words: "For many, the social model can be liberating: by locating the cause of our problems outside our bodies, we can begin to love ourselves again. Tackling systemic ableism may feel like tilting at windmills, but it is still easier to address than some kind of failing within ourselves. There is a criticism of the social model of disability, located in the idea that some disabled people may want a cure. Particularly with matters like chronic pain/chronic illness, a cure is seen as something that can be liberating: a way to simply be in one's body without feeling pain, for example. There is a danger in the cure mentality, as it can be a slippery slope toward eugenics when it is applied by abled people. [...] Sometimes it comes down to how we see our individual disabilities: Are they an intrinsic part of who we are? Or are they an identity that comes with a side of agony we would gladly give up? [...] I also cannot spend all my time pursuing cures, because I would never have a life. [...] What I want to try is acceptance. I want to see what happens if I can simply accept myself for who I am" - Excerpts from Liz Moore's I'm Tired of Chasing a Cure I have read most of Disability Visibility during commute. Up until reading Liz Moore's essay, I am ashamed to admit, I had consciously carried it with the cover facing towards me, hiding it away, somewhat alarmed by the idea that people might read the title and think me disabled. Which is ludicrous, because I AM DISABLED. This read was so fundamentally important to me, because it made me realize how much I had internalized my ableism and how much, by turning it onto myself, I held my body and mind to able-bodied standards and fell short in comparison and agonized about doing so. It is a vicious cycle I am starting to break out of and it is all thanks to this book. I know the quote from Moore's essay here is long ass, but besides the last sentence it is all taken from the introductory part and it boils down many of the conflicting feelings I had had about myself so well and this essay really took me through the wringer. After reading it I put the book down for a bit, I went soul searching on a deep dive and I think I came out on the other side a happier person, honestly. I read the rest of the book with the cover proudly facing outwards, I started talking about what I had read to people and I was ready to feel the empowerment and love that is an integral part of all these pages. I loved reading absolutely everything, every essay was gospel to me, even if the experiences were vastly different from my own - there is a sense of community here, of unconditional support, and of fierce individuals demanding a world that welcomes each and every one of its inhabitants. This is a very self centered review, of course. I do think it is wonderful how much this read helped me with me personally, but I can't stress enough how eye-opening this is towards other people's experiences as well. The intersectionality and diversity of authors with regards to disabilities, races, genders, ages, occupations, ... in here is delightful and will enrich every last reader, I am certain. There is also a terrific cumulation of resources at the end. I cannot recommend this enough and will hold it close to my heart! CW: There are manifold throughout, but Alice Wong, the editor, has put content warnings in front of every essay that needs them, so safely navigating the book is made possible.