Why Some Americans Want to Be Disabled

On the rise of luxury identities. Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. When I started going blind, I considered it a death sentence. I was terrified of losing my eyesight, for reasons that I think are understandable. I was embarrassed about being disabled and resented the inconvenience of it, the way this thing had entered my life like an uninvited guest. There’s something inherently final about disability, but no one tells you how remarkably anticlimactic it is. Jon Gingerich is a New York-based writer, creative writing instructor, ghostwriter, and former magazine editor. He’s the author of the novel The Appetite Factory (Turner Publishing Company). More on Disability