Signs of Disability

We can learn to notice the signs of disability by understanding the processes by which the material world becomes sensory input and how narratives can be used to enact boundaries and determine the properties of phenomena. Signs of Disability offers strategies and practices for challenging problematic and pervasive forms of "dis-attention" and proposes a new theoretical model for understanding disability in social, rhetorical, and material settings.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2022
Publisher: New York University Press

We encounter numerous indications of disability in our daily lives, from the recognizable yellow diamond-shaped signs indicating the presence of a deaf person in an area to the telltale shapes of hearing aids and the white-tipped canes gracefully sweeping across footpaths. Despite the prevalence of these signs, Stephanie L. Kerschbaum argues that disability may still not be fully perceived due to a phenomenon she refers to as "dis-attention." To enhance our storytelling about disability, this multidisciplinary work draws upon rhetoric, communication, sociology, and phenomenology to explore the processes by which the material world transforms into sensory input that subsequently passes through perceptual apparatuses to materialize phenomena, including disability. By incorporating the concept of perception into our understanding of disability's materialization, Kerschbaum expands our comprehension of the condition, accounting for its fluctuations and transformations within the semiotics of everyday life.

Drawing from a comprehensive set of thirty-three research interviews centered on the experiences of disabled faculty members regarding disability disclosure, as well as written narratives by disabled individuals, Signs of Disability presents a compelling argument for the materiality of narrative. This book advocates for narratives as a means by which people establish boundaries around phenomena and determine their characteristics.

In conclusion, Signs of Disability offers valuable insights and strategies for challenging problematic and pervasive forms of "dis-attention" and presents a novel theoretical framework for understanding disability in social, rhetorical, and material contexts. By expanding our understanding of disability through the lens of perception, we can foster greater empathy, inclusivity, and understanding in our interactions with individuals who face unique challenges.

Weight: 388g
Dimension: 152 x 231 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479811168