Читать книгу Crippled - Frances Ryan - Страница 7

The book would not have happened without my editor at Verso, Leo Hollis, whose confidence in me helped transform a notebook of ideas into a book on a shelf. My agent, Diana Beaumont, has offered invaluable support throughout. I’m also very grateful to the K Blundell Trust and the Society of Authors for their grant and faith in the project.

A number of experts have contributed helpful advice, including Ellen Clifford and Disabled People against Cuts, Ben Baumberg Geiger, Michelle Cardno at Fightback4Justice, and many more. Charities such as Contact, Scope, Leonard Cheshire, Action for Children, Changing Lives, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, DeafHope, SafeLives and Refuge have similarly generously offered their time to be interviewed, track down sources, or bat around ideas.

I have been very lucky to have the support of family and friends who, in multiple ways, helped me complete this book at a challenging time – in particular Dave Drew, Aisling Wootten, Marie Staniforth, Sarah Raddon Jackson, Helen McCulloch and Sarah Monk. As ever, my love and thanks for everything to Mum, Dad, and sister, Kate.

This book was in many ways the accumulation of six years’ work covering disability and austerity, started long before I envisaged writing a book or there being an interest in publishing it. In light of that, thank you to the editors and colleagues who over the years have offered anything from early commissions or advice to the encouragement that helped me get here – in particular, Kira Cochrane, Amelia Gentleman, Alison Benjamin, Patrick Butler and Helen Lewis.

It was with more than a little irony that, just as I embarked upon writing a book about disability, my own disability took a considerable downturn. Writing became impossible for much of the time and, when possible, was slow and stagnated. There were times when I did not know if I’d physically be able to get this book out. And yet I was incredibly fortunate. I had a family that meant I never needed to worry about keeping a roof over my head and a flexible job that meant I could work – and therefore earn a wage – from my bed. Countless others do not. It is here that my appreciation for the welfare state is only encouraged. To have a safety net to protect us when we are sick is the most precious of things and a sign of civilization we shall surely miss if it’s gone.

Since I began working on this subject in 2012, many hundreds of disabled people have taken the time to write to me about their experiences. These tweets, letters and emails were fundamental in shaping the work that followed. Above anyone, I would like to thank the disabled people who agreed to be interviewed for this book. I am deeply aware how exposing and difficult it often was to relay some of the most intimate parts of their lives, and the bravery it took to share that publicly. I thank them for their trust and hope this book does them justice.