Author and Disability Advocate Rebekah Taussig Discusses Her Memoir "Sitting Pretty."

To mark Disability Pride month, we’re revisiting one of my favorite interviews: a 2020 conversation with Rebekah Taussig who discusses her memoir in essays (and current NEA Big Read title) Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body. Rebekah, who has a Ph.D in Disability Studies and Creative Nonfiction, shares personal experiences that inform her book and shed light on the intersection of disability and identity,  the daily obstacles and societal misconceptions individuals with disabilities encounter, and the physical and emotional challenges she can face as a wheelchair user.  She discusses the need for inclusivity and accessibility in all aspects of life, emphasizes the power of personal narratives in reshaping societal perspectives on disability, and explains how storytelling can be a tool for empowerment, education, and fostering empathy. She  talks about growing up as a paralyzed girl in the 1990s and 2000s and searching to find a story—any story—that reflected her own. She didn’t, and so she wrote it into existence. We talk about the steps society needs to take to become more inclusive and accessible, the importance of education and representation in dismantling ableism, and strategies for fostering empathy, understanding, and inclusion.  In reading her book and interviewing Rebekah for the podcast, I felt as though I was listening to a very funny, very smart, and very thoughtful friend who was imagining big things for all of us. Let us know what you think about Art Works—email us at artworkspod@arts.gov.