As an academic, the publication of a book is sometimes anticlimactic. It’s great to hold a physical copy, as it’s a distillation of so much work. But other than that, there’s often not much of a change once the book comes out. It can take up to six months or even a year for reviews to come out or for other scholarship that engages it to be published.
But the past six weeks, since Disability and Inclusive Communities was released, have been different. The book is already getting traction in a way A church in Texas has ordered 20 copies to help them figure out how to better partner with a family in their congregation in the coming years. (The press has graciously let me do a number of bulk orders at cost; so if you’re interested, let me know.)A local school has asked me to come consult with them and their staff about what kinds of changes they might need to make in terms of how they approach intellectual disability. A non-profit that builds and runs semi-independent housing for adults with intellectual disabilities has reached out to me. I’ll be speaking at another local non-profit next month about employment opportunities and challenges related to disability. And I’ve been told that all of the participants in this year’s Summer Institute on Theology and Disability will be getting a copy as part of registration.
I’m grateful that the book is being picked up and used in these ways.
