Dan Keck reviewed No Pity by Joseph P. Shapiro
Review of 'No Pity ' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I found this book at a yard sale last summer. The book was written in 1994, and therefore is missing 25 years of recent developments. Nevertheless, I found the book to be gripping, and I learned about how much people with disabilities have had to fight for an opportunity to participate in society.
Historically, things have not gone well for people with limited abilities in areas such as sight, hearing, motor function, or cognition. Early 20th century eugenics advocates believed that individuals with disabilities don’t even deserve to live. Those who were more charitable would take pity on the disabled, and put them in institutions, trying to make them comfortable but preventing them from living meaningful lives.
The title of the book “No Pity” says it all. It’s about the fight not for pity, but for equal access to the means to work, to participate in recreation, and to take …
I found this book at a yard sale last summer. The book was written in 1994, and therefore is missing 25 years of recent developments. Nevertheless, I found the book to be gripping, and I learned about how much people with disabilities have had to fight for an opportunity to participate in society.
Historically, things have not gone well for people with limited abilities in areas such as sight, hearing, motor function, or cognition. Early 20th century eugenics advocates believed that individuals with disabilities don’t even deserve to live. Those who were more charitable would take pity on the disabled, and put them in institutions, trying to make them comfortable but preventing them from living meaningful lives.
The title of the book “No Pity” says it all. It’s about the fight not for pity, but for equal access to the means to work, to participate in recreation, and to take part in all life has to offer.
Throughout most of the 20th century, there were generally not wheelchair ramps. In general. signs did not have Braille, and broadcasts did not have closed captioning or sign language interpreters. Schools did not have instruction tailored for children with disabilities. It's not that people didn't want these things. Most people were fine with these things existing, but not at the cost of their inconvenience. They didn’t want the front entrance of a store shut down long enough to install a ramp. They didn’t want to delay the release of a TV show because someone had to type captions for it. And of course, no one wanted to pay for anything.
In the 1970s and 1980s, activists began demanding change. There were sit-ins, demonstrations, protests, and litigation. At last, all the advocacy paid off. In 1990, Congress passed the ADA, which was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush, who is recognized as a champion for those with disabilities.
In the years since, many barriers to access have been removed for people with disabilities. Individuals are now more likely to be able to get an education, participate in gainful employment, enjoy entertainment, and make contributions to the world in ways that would have been impossible prior to the ADA.
Change did not come because disabled people asked nicely, or because of the generous hearts of non-disabled people. Change came because disabled people and allies made life uncomfortable for the privileged set. They refused to be ignored and refused to be brushed aside. It’s not that one group hated the other. It’s just hard to bring about change, and sometimes it gets a little ugly.
And it’s not a zero sum game. The goal is not to pit those with disabilities vs. those without. The goal is everyone to have equal access to work together. By allowing more people to participate, everyone’s lives are enriched.