Arielle is a disabled activist and a social scientist who is passionate about improving public understandings of life with disabilities. She has spent fifteen years conducting research on the social psychology of disability. She has spent a lifetime learning and teaching with fellow members of the disability community.
Born without sight, Dr. Arielle Silverman has never missed the visual. Being blind never bothered her much but, as she grew, she discovered others saw her blindness very differently. Many people saw her as either helpless or inspirational, but rarely did they see her as just human, with the same capacities and desires as her peers.
Arielle explores ways to foster respect and inclusion, not only for blind people like her, but for all whose bodies or minds differ from the norm. In Just Human, she reflects on her formative years and presents unique anecdotes from her life that carry teachable moments for all of us. She recalls the feel of her mother’s embrace and the smell of her grandparents’ brisket. Arielle uses these memories to paint pictures from her mind’s eye: a vision of a world where we can radically accept ourselves and our fellow humans, while at the same time work to change systems of inequality.