Being Seen is a memoir written by deafblind professor Elsa Sjunneson about her life as a person with disabilities as well as commentary and critical analysis of societal views of deafness, blindness, and other disabilities. I really loved this book, it was often hard to put down. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of life with a disability, for example dating, using assistive technology/devices, working and applying for jobs. During my PostBacc (an after degree program designed for Education students who want to continue training while teaching full time) I took several courses on inclusion, including one course which focused on how people with disabilities are perceived or portrayed in the media, and a course on assistive technologies and several courses on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and so this book was very interesting as I had quite a bit of background knowledge but limited personal experiences. I think that whether you know someone with a disability (including yourself) or not, this book is a must read for all humans. Sjunneson gives readers a window into the life of people with disabilities and the challenges they face DAILY which are usually caused by or exacerbated by abled people.
Ableism is definitely a theme in this story and for some people it may be a first introduction to an area of discrimination that people with disabilities face constantly as they navigate the world we share. While there have been some improvements in this area in the last few years, we have sooooo far to go in order to make our world accessible for all people. I appreciate that Sjunneson carefully articulates how important the actions of abled people are and how detrimental small actions can be. For example, before you grab a person who is blind and lead them across the street, maybe take a second to introduce yourself, ask if they even need support, or just be aware of your surroundings (ie. don't crowd them or cut them off) and not go over to a stranger who is probably navigating things just fine without you. Assumptions and prejudice are awful in most cases but when someone is disabled they face these assumptions constantly from doctors to customer service agents to friends and family. They are often seen first for their disability and then maybe for who they are as a person.
I commend Sjunneson for her honest and brave storytelling and her desire to give readers an opportunity to learn from her (often traumatic) experiences. This book is very well written and well researched and is the perfect combination of personal experiences and information to support observations or opinions. The story also involves a pretty in-depth critique of disability in popular culture and the media. At times I did find this a bit less interesting as I hadn't previously watched or read several of the books and movies described. That being said, it is not necessary to have consumed the media described and it is also an opportunity for readers to add literature and film to their to-read/watch or to-avoid lists! I also felt the ending was a bit awkward, and I think the author did too lol! Sjunneson is only in her 30s (this is crazy to me because I recently turned 30 and feel that she has accomplished and experienced SOOOOO much more than I have in a similar amount of time), so how do you end a memoir when you aren't even half way through your life (based on average life spans in North America)? Aside from those two things I thought this book was amazing and would highly recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.
Comments