In some ways, I still can’t believe that I wrote a whole book. I often talk about how none of this work exists in a vacuum. It takes a village.
First, to the Diversability community, the broader disability community, and everyone who has engaged with me and my work, I am only here because of all of you. I am so grateful and proud to be in community with and learning alongside you. Thank you for sharing your stories, insights, and perspectives that are featured throughout this book. I hope that this continues to uplift and amplify all our voices.
To my family: my mom, my late dad, and three siblings. November 29, 1997, changed all of our lives. It hasn’t been easy but thank you for making it possible so that I could do this work.
To my incredible agent, Charles Kim, thank you for championing me from the beginning when I wasn’t sure if I had a book in me. From a high school dream that sat on the proverbial shelf gathering dust for decades, this book came into existence because of you. You believed in me, my voice, and my message when I didn’t yet believe in myself. Thank you to Regina Brooks and the entire team at Serendipity Literary Agency for your continued support and advocacy throughout the process.
To Alison Dalafave at Hachette Go, for trusting that this was a book that needed to be a Hachette Go book and out in the world. To Mollie Weisenfeld, my editor, for picking up where Alison left off and being an incredible partner throughout the process. And to the entire team at Hachette Go, thank you for all the work you did behind the scenes to make this book a reality.
To Kimberley Lim, my collaborative writer and editor, thank you for your patience and your partnership on this project. You were able to take transcripts, calls, and ramblings and help turn them into something I’m so proud of. To say that this book would not exist without you is an understatement.
To Lauren Freedman, thank you for joining my book team at the last minute and your support in getting to the final manuscript. I’m grateful for your friendship.
To my designer Jennifer White-Johnson, I have been looking for something that we could work on together! Thank you for taking my vision of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto art and turning it into a reality. There is already so much excitement about it because of your design.
To my beta readers Dr. Amy Kenny and Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano, thank you for being the best cheerleaders and taking the time to review the early drafts and provide your feedback. This book is better because of you and I’m grateful to be in community with you.
To the Changemaker Authors Cohort from Narrative Initiative and Unicorn Authors Club, thank you for being a core part of my support system in helping me get my manuscript to the finish line. To my book coaches, Minal Hajratwala and Camila Márquez, thank you for making space for my tears, frustration, and overwhelm and for “getting it” the only way that other authors would. To my fellow Changemaker Authors, I can’t wait to see your books out in the world.
There are likely others I haven’t named that will come to me later—partners, supporters, mentors, and friends—who have been instrumental to this journey, thank you for everything.
Finally, to you, for reading this book. I am so grateful for your support and your interest in disability equity and inclusion and becoming anti-ableist. You all give me hope for the future.