A little over half a century ago, zero federal laws made it illegal to discriminate against disabled people. Today’s accessibility accommodations in buildings and services were nonexistent. We have disability rights activist and supreme badass Judy Heumann to thank for sparking a national movement for the protection of disabled peoples’ rights that led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And it benefits everyone. Read more →
11 posts categorized "Kim E. Nielsen"
Today is International Women’s Day, a global day to honor and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women. Observed since the early 1900s, it marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality. This year’s campaign theme, #BeBoldForChange, implores us to help build a more inclusive, gender-equal world. It also coincides with the “Day Without a Woman” general strike, organized to bring attention to the inequalities women still face, including lower wages, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity. Women in thirty-five countries are participating in the strike. Read more →
“I’ve never been this excited about my education before,” my student said as we discussed his undergraduate B.A. degree in Disability Studies. Then he laughed at himself with astonishment. Because of his commitment to the topic, he also was working harder in his college coursework than he ever had before; and he’d never imagined that academic hard work and excitement could go together. This student, like all of our students, came to the University of Toledo’s Disability Studies Program seeking a future job (for himself) and justice (for all). Read more →
By Kim E. Nielsen Photo credit: Kim E. Nielsen In the last three months The Family and I have twice piled into the car for eight-plus-hour (one way!) road trips to Washington, D.C. As family road trips, the journeys necessarily... Read more →
Kim E. Nielsen, author of 'A Disability History of the United States,' shares a personal revelation that led to a deeper understanding of her own ableism and class bias. Read more →
In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, we interviewed author Kim E. Nielsen, author of A Disability History of the United States, about the history of disability in North American Indigenous culture. Read more →
The first book to cover the entirety of disability history, from pre-1492 to the present Disability is not just the story of someone we love or the story of whom we may become; rather it is undoubtedly the story of... Read more →
The latest media hits and mentions for Beacon books and authors. Read more →
Kim E. Nielsen discusses labor rights, education, and the state of Wisconsin. Read more →
On the occasion of Helen Keller's birthday, Kim E. Nielsen reflects on the extraordinary woman's most important friendship. Read more →
On the birthday of Anne Sullivan Macy, Kim Nielsen explores the many reasons she chose to write a book about the woman best known as the teacher of Helen Keller. Read more →