Ableism has always pervaded my life. From the moment I was born, I belonged to that class of people labeled “disabled,” and my relegation to society’s margins began. But our social structures, more than our bodies, fetter our lives. That’s what ableism is all about.
In a world conceived by and for the able-bodied, violence, injustice, and discriminations sparked my rage. And little by little, over the course of readings, experiences, experiments, and encounters, I realized that we, persons with disabilities, can politicize our identities, make them tools for the struggle and sources of pride. Our individual paths are so many gateways into collectively defending issues of social justice, freedom, equality, and emancipation. This book takes its place in our effort to reappropriate our own stories.
Psychologist Charlotte Puiseux holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and is a specialist in "crip," a disabled movement that draws inspiration from queer theory and struggles. She studies issues of ableism, "handifeminism" and "handiparenting" (intersections of persons with disabilities with feminism and parenting). For years now, she has been active in anticapitalist, feminist, and queer/crip spheres.