The Dilemma for Disabled AuthorsLaura Hersheybyline‚ Jul. 26‚ 2007ED. NOTE: Today marks the 17th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The following reviews three books about disabilities. Having a visible disability, and writing about it, can seem redundant. I have been asked innumerable questions about my physical condition and its related apparatuses -- What happened to you? How fast can your chair go? Caught off guard, I have sometimes answered. Writing is a different type of interaction, in which I have more control over (and time to think about) how much information to offer about my disability. Still, I can never completely quiet those naïve, inquisitive voices. When writing first-person narratives, whether autobiography or personal essay, a disabled author must decide how much consideration to give to the curiosity and cluelessness of a nondisabled readership. "Will they get it?" we ask ourselves. "Will this story narrow or widen the gap between us?" |