Blooming Beyond Limitations: Discussions on Disability
Thriving Opportunities for All: Unleashing Potential in Every Community
Welcome to our deep dive into the art of living life to the fullest, regardless of physical constraints. The Art of Flourishing: Conversations on Disability invites you to ponder the fact that, under the right social conditions, everyone can thrive, no matter the shape of their body. We're talking about blooming in your own unique way, simply because it feels worthwhile - for its own sake, not as a means to an end like wealth or power.
In a world where support for humanistic exploration is under fire in the United States, we argue that reflecting on human flourishing and diversity is essential for a thriving society. This book, originating from a National Endowment for the Humanities project, has been crafted to spark open dialogues about the essence of human flourishing. From 2019 to 2022, we hosted six public events featuring disabled artists, scholars, activists, and thought leaders. These captivating discussions centered on their personal paths to flourishing while revealing the hurdles of prejudice, ignorance, and unequal power structures that often get in the way.
These conversations, as vivid as they are diverse, cover everything from mastering the world with personal assistive devices, exploring uncharted territories accessible to all bodies, to creating and healing without a cure in sight, to embracing countless possibilities for a powerful sense of community and connection. Flourishing can be nurtured through relationships, technology, art, objects, and environments.
We make it clear that while our contributors are highly successful individuals, we're not suggesting that every disabled person must become a "super hero." Nor do we imply that people who don't flourish to the same extent as those recognized by mainstream culture are any less deserving of respect or camaraderie. Far from it! Some contributors emphasize the importance of celebrating disability joy, not as a call for those grappling with chronic pain or other challenges to "do it better," but to acknowledge and honor the resilience inherent in disability communities.
Many contributors highlight the values of independence and autonomy, while recognizing the vital need for solidarity. Amid the hyper-polarization of our times, embracing solidarity may be more important than ever. A quick word of caution: when we were organizing this project, some disabled people showed hesitation to get involved. Perhaps they wondered, "Haven't bioethicists already talked about limiting healthcare resources, promoting the right to die, and advocating for prenatal testing to ensure the birth of 'ideal' children?"
It's essential to acknowledge that the bioethics community is as diverse as the disability studies community. Moreover, many scholars today move freely between both fields. To make issues even more complex, our book is dedicated to the memory of Adrienne Asch, a pioneering disability rights activist and bioethicist who identified solely as a bioethicist.
Adrienne Asch and Erik Parens worked together to bring the social model of disability into bioethics in the late 1990s, with a project report and co-edited volume on prenatal testing and disability rights. Since then, The Hastings Center has made a commitment to really listen to what disabled people have to say about their own lives rather than focusing on the supposed limitations of their bodies.
This lesson about the importance of listening has been especially meaningful for Hastings scholars, as one of their founding fellows, Eric Cassell, had already eloquently argued that medical professionals - and all of us - should focus on the "whole person," paying attention to their aspirations and well-being, not just their physical capabilities. For decades, scholars at Hastings have sought to promote this holistic view of human flourishing.
Our hope is that this book serves as an invitation for scholars, students, and laypeople to delve deeper into their understanding of the flourishing of people with disabilities - and ultimately, of all people. We all share a universal desire to make the most of our unique abilities, even if our specific talents differ.
Note: To keep the cost of this enriching book down, our website president, Vardit Ravitsky, has kindly diverted funds to subsidize its publication. With your purchase, all proceeds will go to organizations fighting for disability rights and justice.
Joel Michael Reynolds, PhD, a Hastings Center Fellow and senior research scholar at Georgetown University, is one of the book's editors. Erik Parens, Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, and Liz Bowen, PhD, an assistant professor of bioethics and humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University, are also editors. These individuals are deeply involved in disability studies, clinical bioethics, philosophy, and activism.*
- In the pursuit of a thriving society, it's crucial to facilitate discussions not just on the flourishing of people with disabilities, but also on the significance of diversity and inclusion in finance and business.
- As we strive for a holistic view of human flourishing, it's vital to consider how diverse perspectives in fields like finance, business, and technology can help to break down barriers and foster greater equality and access for all, regardless of ability.
