Jennifer Chassman Browne Publishes New Book To Highlight Disabled Experiences
Small headshot of Jennifer Chassman Browne – white woman, shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a navy and grey quarter-zip, fist under her chin, smiling. Larger image of the book cover that reads: See Us, Know Us Profiles of Disability, Jennifer Chassman Brown, Portraits by Natalie Brescia, Foreword by Donna Rene Walton, PhD. Image on the cover is a Black woman in profile wearing all black, arm propped on her cane.
See Us, Know Us: Profiles of Disability is Jennifer Chassman Browne’s newly released book that gives readers a glimpse into what it’s like to live with disabilities. Through profiles, biographies, and deeply personalized poems, Chassman Browne amplifies the lived experiences of all the disabled people portrayed.
According to the author, “See Us, Know Us introduces the reader to a diverse group of people who share their experiences in honest and vulnerable ways that lead the reader to carry these stories out into the world, thinking about and retelling them…. Readers will leave with a desire to create a world that is more accepting and inclusive; a world in which all feel that they belong.”
Chassman Browne shared that the inspiration to create this book stems from her years as a disability advocate and educator. Through poetry and storytelling she hopes to help develop connections and empathy. She believes these stories can help readers better understand the lives of people with disabilities and, in turn, become better equipped to dismantle ableism.
“When people [learn] about the experiences that a person with a disability [has], [sees] their challenges and successes, people [engage] with a desire for connection, and from a place of empathy. These [are] the most powerful moments of the advocacy work that I [do], and so I decided to focus on telling our stories to build connection and, ideally, to create allies for the disability community.”
The book includes profiles of 30 disabled people including members of the Diversability Leadership Collective (DLC). Members of the DLC include Nico Meyering, Nicole Demos, Puneet Singh Singhal, Dr. Arielle Dance, Jennifer Gasner, and Keisha Greaves. The book also includes testimonials from Tony Coelho, Erin Tatum, Cory Lee, and more.
Diversability is excited to host the See Us, Know Us: Profiles of Disability Book Launch Party on October 24 at 3pm ET / 12pm PT. Follow the journey on Chassman Browne’s social media accounts: