Narrator did a good job with tone and pacing. The reading felt conversational and engaging. This book was excellent and encouraged reflection and further study on the topic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. Will be recommending.

I'm really glad I read this. Manifesto on disability, advocacy, and ableism. Plus the role technology plays in disability. This is broken up into chapters that can be read as standalone if needed.

Items that stood out for me:
- How beneficial space travel and exploration would be with disabled folks as astronauts.
- Breaking down why Autism Speaks sucks. The whole section on autism was interesting, and I liked how gender was tied into the discussion.
- Amputees and bionic limbs. How a lot of limbs are created for aesthetics and 'looking normal' in society instead of actual function. Do you actually need a robotic hand with 5 fingers?
- Sharing stories from other disabled people on how small things to one can be day ruining for someone else. How initialized the disability community is - used as 'examples' in architecture classes for how to make something ADA friendly as a thought experiment for students. Inspirational porn social media videos. How the media highlights stories from the families and partners of a disabled person, hiring non-disabled people to 'act' disabled for parts. Disabled people can't be angry.
- Villainizing disabled people in media - Captain Hook in Peter Pan.
- Historical events and practices used on disabled folks (or anyone who didn't look 'normal' to the general public.)

The narration was great too!






https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6066481713

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement"
*by Ashley Shew, Narrated by Maria Pendolino*

In a world increasingly enamored with the promise of technology, Ashley Shew's "Against Technoableism" emerges as a clarion call to reevaluate our perceptions of disability and the role of technological advancements. Shew, an associate professor with a personal narrative that lends her voice authenticity, challenges the prevailing notion that technology is the panacea for disability.

The book is not merely a critique; it is a manifesto that advocates for a shift from the techno-centric to the human-centric. Shew's arguments are grounded in the lived experiences of the disabled, which she articulates with a blend of academic rigor and personal insight. The narrative, brought to life by Maria Pendolino's engaging narration, is both warm and feisty, inviting readers to confront uncomfortable truths about societal attitudes towards disability.

Shew dismantles the concept of "technoableism" – the belief that technology can and should "fix" disability – and exposes it as a form of oppression that perpetuates the marginalization of disabled individuals. She argues that the focus should not be on "improving" the disabled to fit into an ableist world but rather on restructuring society to be genuinely inclusive.

The book is a compact powerhouse, concise yet comprehensive, covering a range of topics from mobility devices to medical infrastructure, and the intersectionality of disability with race. Shew's prose is vibrant, making complex ideas accessible without diluting their impact. Her call to action is clear: we must eliminate technoableism and embrace disability not as a liability but as a set of skills that enrich our collective ability to navigate the world.

"Against Technoableism" is essential reading for both the disabled and nondisabled. It serves as a reminder that the future is inevitably disabled – through aging, disease, or the changing climate – and how we approach disability technologies now will shape the accessibility and equity of that future. Shew's work is a testament to the power of reframing narratives and the urgent need to do so in the context of disability and technology.

In conclusion, this book is a thought-provoking, paradigm-shifting work that challenges readers to rethink who truly needs improvement – the individual or society. It's a must-read for anyone interested in technology ethics, disability studies, or social justice.

I appreciate this book for what it is — a great introduction to the topic. However I really wanted this book to challenge the status quo a bit more.

In a disarmingly friendly and engaging way, this book managed to upend so many of my assumptions about how our society is built to accommodate only one type of body. It's made me see that so many "accommodations" are designed with the goal of making non-disabled people feel comfortable rather than be an actual aid to the users. It is my new answer to "Have you read anything good lately?"

5 stars.

I am both disabled and neurodivergent, and
I L O V E T H I S B O O K !!! Absolutely fantastic, realistic and well-written account of disability life. Also, concise.

I encourage everyone - able-bodied, neurotypical, neurodivergent and disabled alike - to read this book/audiobook. I believe it to be essential reading towards the accessible, inclusive, liberated future that we all need.

“Throughout, I consider disabled people the experts in disability. I am no longer interested in what so-called experts: non-disabled scientists, physicians, therapists and so on, have to say. These narratives are already over-represented. And in some cases, they have done damage to disabled people as a community, disabled people as knowers, and the experience as valid and valuable. When we don’t listen to those with actual experience, we often get accounts of disability and technology completely wrong”.

I literally couldn’t knit through this audiobook because I kept (1) punching the air, (2) going back to re-listen to sections and (3) just sitting in my emotions; feeling so very seen.

“Few disabled people have just one disability. That’s important to note, because most studies about disability want you to have JUST ONE - which means - most studies about disability do NOT record our experiences with any fidelity”!

I love the major sections that the author broke the book down into. They made so much sense.

“You don’t get to ask disabled folks incredibly-personal, inappropriate and/or medical history questions to figure out how inspired you should be!!”

I am so thankful that they additionally covered the ridiculous “disability tropes” that continuously misrepresent those of us that are disabled, and how much harm they actually do.

My only dislike of this book is that it is - as is incredibly typical from an American author - incredibly US-centric. There are a couple references that acknowledge the existence of disabled folk outside of the US, but it is rare. I don’t understand why American authors write as if there are no other countries/cultures/life outside of their own country. That said, with the topic of disability life and justice, there are major similarities across the world. I still believe this is an essential contribution to this topic.

If you read ONE book on disability, make it this one.

Huge gratitude to the publisher and NetGalley, for an audio ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book is good for literally everyone to read. We are all or will be disabled in some form or fashion and the social sigma around how we as a society talk and address disabilities is more important than ever in a post-covid era. I will absolutely be recommending this book to others.

Lots to like here, and lots of information to digest. Strongest points include the fact that disabled people are the true experts on their disabilities; the fact that attempting to eradicate all disability is deeply ableist and rooted in eugenics; and that experiencing disability at some point in our lives is a foregone conclusion for most of us. Shew’s voice is super engaging, and the audiobook narration was well done. I wish there was more of a deep dive on some of the topics she covered, and the ending felt a little abrupt. All in all, I think this is a really important read and I recommend it for anyone wanting to be a better, more informed ally to disabled people. To that end, I’d also recommend “Demystifying Disability” by Emily Ladau.

Against Technoableism is a great introduction to the social model of disability and disability justice and is one of the first books I've read on the subject. The central idea is that the common (often unconscious) belief that technology can and should "cure" disability is ableist and is largely rejected by and/or harmful to disabled folks. There is also a good deal of discussion about how disabled people are expected to fight against their bodies and/or minds (often relying on tech) and must be inspirational in order to be "good" disabled people. Shew also explores the concept of "nothing about us without us," a slogan of disability advocates which essentially asserts that the people impacted should be involved and centered at every level of decision making in order to create solutions that actually work for disabled folks.

As it's quite a compact book, there wasn't room to take a deep dive into most of the topics touched on, but I felt it provided a good jumping off point for other texts and resources. The brief explorations of disability history (damn, IBM that was wild of you), advocacy (fuck Autism Speaks), and futures introduced me to several new ideas and, in many cases, offered suggestions for continued reading and organizations with which to engage for further learning and connection. I really enjoyed Shew's writing style and the fast pace of the text. I sometimes struggle to remain engaged with nonfiction works, but this book kept me totally rapt.

While there were mentions of intersectionality sprinkled throughout and recommendations for further reading by diverse voices, I did find myself wondering specifically about the absence of any discussion about anti-capitalism. There were several moments where it felt like an obvious gap, especially during the portions about how the concept of disability is largely the result of the fixation on productivity/work and sections about challenges with healthcare systems and healthcare costs.

I especially enjoyed the portion on autism and neurodivergence as well as the final portion of the book which focused on disabled futures, the concept that the future IS disabled, and that some disabled folks could actually be well- or even better-suited to aspects of that future than non-disabled folks. I think Shew's reminders that disability is a neutral term-- not a negative one, that using tech to manage disabilities should be a choice not an expectation, that using disability language helps us find our community, and that we shouldn't be expected to try and erase our disabilities in order to be acceptable were all things that I needed to hear today. And it's likely that these are things non-disabled folks need to hear as well.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6066335967Important Technology Read

This was truly a great disability book.

Really important read.

I also thought it would be a great companion read to the excellent Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century.

As a programmer myself, this book is filled with tips and assistance for how to make all technology more accessible.

Check it out!

4.3/5

Brilliant.
I wish I could force everyone to read this book.



I listened to the audiobook published by HighBridge Audio. The physical book is published by W. W. Norton & Company.

Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to read this ARC.

True to the vibes this was a very accessible nonfiction. Intentionally non-linear each chapter dives into various topics intersecting with disability while challenging the medical model belief that one day disability will be “cured” with advanced technologies…because the reality is that the future is disabled. Between an aging population, lack of universal healthcare, climate change, and the fact that about 15% of people are already disabled Imaging a future without disability is just inaccurate. Throughout this listen I faced my own biases and thoughts around disability, medical interventions, and accessibility while enjoying the pacing and musings of Shew’s writing. Would recommend this to anyone that wants to unlearn the future that disability free Sci-Fi has wrongfully painted.

The book itself is fantastic. I wouldn't change a single thing. I learned a lot, even if I did not consider myself exactly new to disability activism, and still I found it very accessible to beginners. I was really appreciative of the way everyone mentioned and their personal experiences were treated with so much respect, and I also valued the way the author talked about her own experiences, in a way that taught me a lot about how people's stories should be told. This isn't an autobiography, though, it is more of a manifesto and a brilliant one at that. I want to recommend it to everyone I know.

As for the audiobook, I think the narrator is very talented! Extremely expressive, very easy to understand (I'm a non-native - there was not a single word that I missed). The only thing I could pinpoint was some awkward pauses between chapters, with a big breath, which I think could have been edited. I do think this is nitpicking though, and this was a very, very important book and an extremely enjoyable reading (ny listening) experience.

An absolutely incredible audiobook. Shew narrates incredibly, an intricate, diverse and fascinating work about the intersectionality of ableism, racism, and misogyny, exposing some of the racist origins of ableist language and attitudes, and how the diversity of experiences of ableism and disability, are just as diverse as the people who experience such ableism and disabilities. I was incredibly shocked by how much I learned within such a short time, this brand new work I have no doubt will be a staple in modern non fiction for the long term, and I encourage anyone and everyone to read it front to back.

What a wonderful resource. With humor and care, this book looks at a topic that seems so basic and yet isn’t… that disabled people should be the ones providing input and making decisions around the technologies that are best suited to their needs. Also, the goal of technologies for disabled people should be about the individual person’s choices for quality of life, and not about making able people more comfortable around disabled people (think finding ways to make amputees walk, or stopping self soothing or stimming behaviors in autistic people). Seems basic, but it isn’t. This is a great place for people who want to be better allies to disabled people to start their journey. (Also as this book reminds the reader, anyone who lives long enough will eventually become disabled in some way.)