First published 2026
Jessica Slice tackles the widespread assumption that disabled people cannot properly raise children. She combines personal stories with interviews and research to expose the barriers disabled parents face daily. How do you find baby equipment that works with your disability? What happens when strangers threaten to call child services simply because you look different? How do you navigate medical systems that assume you should not have children? Slice shows how disabled parents develop creative solutions and adapt quickly to parenthood's demands. They often handle uncertainty and loss of bodily control better than other parents. The book argues that disability culture offers valuable lessons for all families. Instead of pursuing perfectionism and isolation, parents can embrace flexibility and community support. Slice demonstrates how disabled perspectives provide hope and practical solutions for a parenting culture that leaves families exhausted and alone.
Genres: essays, memoir, non-fiction, parenting, social-justice, disability
Vibes: advocacy-driven, empowering, hopeful, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity, personal-narrative, research-based-argument
Period: 21st-century
216 pages · Paperback · Beacon Press
Content warnings: ableism, medical-trauma