Professor to lead nationwide discussion on book about history of people with disabilities

October 26, 2017 | Events, UToday, Arts and Letters
By Staff



Dr. Kim E. Nielsen is gearing up to meet with 60 American Association of University Women book clubs across the country — in one night.

She will discuss “A Disability History of the United States” during an ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club webinar Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m.

“American Association of University Women leaders chose the book to include in their monthly book discussions to commemorate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and members have submitted questions ahead of time,” the UT professor of disability studies said. “I’m looking forward to a lively conversation.”

Published by Beacon Press in 2012, Nielsen’s book is the first to cover the entirety of American disability history, from pre-1492 to the present.

“I spent more than five years chronicling this history that spans 800 years. It begins prior to the European arrival and follows how history has changed over time,” she said.

In her book, Nielsen illustrates how concepts of disability have shaped the American experience in relation to immigration, establishing labor laws, and justifying slavery and gender discrimination. Her work includes powerful stories spanning narratives of women being involuntarily sterilized to accounts of returning veterans with disabilities securing civil rights.

The American Association of University Women created the ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club to spotlight important, interesting stories and strong writing by women from all backgrounds.

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