One year ago, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, made its way into the world. It's weird to talk about my book like it's my baby, but I've experienced the roller coaster of bringing it to life and sustaining it since its conception in 2019. Though it's probably more accurate to say this book has sustained me. How do we move ahead when each push forward seems like its met by two pushes back? I've had so many moments of feeling helpless or hopeless, worn down by ableism, burnt out by the grind of activism, wondering if it's worth it to keep going. But then messages will pop up from people who read my book. They'll tell me their child engaged in conversation about disability because they saw the cover. That as a disabled person, they felt seen. That they have now decided to embrace their disability as an identity. That they've realized how they, as a nondisabled person, can better support their disabled child, spouse, parent, friend, colleague, student. That they want to put action behind being an ally, even if they make mistakes along the way. None of this is to say I haven't also received valid critiques from readers. I'm always learning, growing, and trying to do better, just as I ask others to do the same. My experiences and perspectives aren't representative of the entire disabled population. My book is a stone thrown into an ocean, rippling outward among so many waves. There's something humbling and empowering about being part of the ripple effect toward change--to know that what I've written could possibly help lead even one person toward not just accepting, but embracing disability for all its messy beauty. As my book enters its second year of existence, I'm committed to continuing the work, even when the waters are rough, to shift toward a more inclusive, accessible world. I hope that in whatever way is most accessible to you (swimming, jet-skiing, inner tube that looks like a donut, etc.), we can continue to navigate these waters together. Image description: Me, a white woman with brown curly hair and glasses, wearing a black dress, sitting in wheelchair, holding multiple copies of #DemystifyingDisability.