Disabled Power

"Disabled Power is an urgent plea to respect and protect the lives of people with disabilities, and a searing indictment of how the US state and society neglect vulnerable people in their moments of great need. Its an important addition to disaster studies, and more timely than ever." ~Eric Klinenberg, author of Heat Wave and 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed

"When the power is out, the water frozen, and the world at a standstill, citizens suffer unequally. Disabled Power brings the disparities to life. Her detailed statistics cause disquiet, while individual stories drive home the point: infrastructure, government plans, and academic post-mortems fail miserably to address the resilience required for those living with disability. Yet Fredrick uncovers hacks and informal networks that offer a roadmap for preparing for future disasters." ~Julie A. Cohn, author of The Grid: Biography of an American Technology

"Disabled Power is a gripping account of disaster, the utter necessity of a strong and interconnected infrastructure, and the high stakes peril disabled people are plunged into without it. Through stories and analysis, Frederick shows both the heavy price we pay for our illusions of independence, and how disabled people survive through ingenious, life sustaining creativity and collective care." ~Laura Mauldin, creator of the the website Disability at Home and author of In Sickness and in Health: Love Stories From the Frontlines of Americas Caregiving Crisis

"This beautifully written book weaves together the stories of people with disabilities to help explain why Winter Storm Uri was so deadly. Disabled Power reveals how freezing temperatures and failing infrastructure collided, ultimately causing disproportionate harm to people already pushed to the margins. It also offers thoughtful, sociologically-informed recommendations for how, through centering the perspectives of people with disabilities, we can better prepare our communities for future weather extremes." ~Lori Peek, co-author of The Continuing Storm: Learning from Katrina