Customer Reviews

Crossing the River: Creating a Conceptual Revolution in Community and Disability

5 star:		(3)
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This was assigned reading for an Intro to Disability Studies class that I've taken. It's encouraging for a person with a disability like myself to see that there are people who genuinely care about the individual without allowing the individual's disability to be an obstacle for current and future interactions. This compilation of essays shows how some professionals in the disability services actually have a learning attitude and are able to step back from their position of 'authority' (after all, they're supposed to be 'the expert'). From the perspective a person with a disability, it is an eye opener and I'm eager to read more of Mr. Schwartz's literature and that of some of his colleagues. Not only is this a must-read for professionals and parents of people with disabilities, I believe it is important for people with disabilities to read this book as well. Education, that tests the limits of the individual, is one of the keys to better integrating a person with a disability into his or her community.

This book is a "must read" for policy makers, families of people with disabilities, and service providers. Unlike most writers in the field, Schwartz expands his discussion of disability policy and practice to the larger realm of community and the world we all live in at any given moment. This book stimulates us to examine our own assumptions, our world view, our own life trajectory, and the very purpose of our own individual lives.

Martha Ziegler
Founder, Federation for Children with Special Needs

Although David Schwartz's book is several years old now, it is still THE best look at the complexities of the community rebuilding process that is the aftermath of deinstitutionalization. This book is a must for all service providers, family members, friends and everyone who is interested in crossing the river to that place where everyone is welcome and everyone is included.

Mattel does a great job designing this Barbie. The skin tone, eye color and body pose are splendid. I have yet to open the box to know if the doll is posable (bendable at the knee.) I would have liked this information to have been communicated on the box. None-the-less, the doll is beautiful and a true representation of the African-American Barbie. Your child will have great adventures with this very special doll.