A Level: Edexcel

IGCSE: Edexcel

A detailed investigation into Joni Eareckson Tada's key ideas on ableism, including what they are, how they work, and why they're important. This lesson provides a brief biography of Joni Eareckson Tada, and covers the text of Joni: An Unforgettable Story. This includes discussion of ableism, accepting the disabled, and living with disability, how to understand each of these key ideas, and why these key ideas are important in social ethics.

Joni: An Unforgettable Story is the first book that Joni Eareckson Tada ever wrote, and it's a searingly personal account of the lifechanging accident that left her paralysed and how she slowly came to terms with it. In some ways it's not obviously about ableism at all, but throughout the book there's a recurring refrain: people should not be defined by their abilities. This is Joni Eareckson Tada's key idea on ableism, and whilst it wasn't new when she first articulated it, the way she's lived her life has revealed the truth to it. Her autobiography really is an unforgettable story; if you're interested in this incredibly moving read you can buy a copy here.