“A glorious, revelatory book.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of An Immense World
“A beautiful, transformative book about being a parent in a world that rejects frailty and weakness.”—Rachel Aviv, staff writer at the New Yorker
A paradigm shifting look at the landscape of disabled parenting—the joys, stigma, and discrimination—and how disability culture holds the key to transforming the way we all raise our kids
In Unfit Parent, Slice debunks the exclusionary myths that deem disabled people “unfit” to care for their children, instead showing how disabled parents and disability culture provide valuable lessons for rejecting societal rules that encourage perfectionism and lead to isolation.
Combining her personal experiences with interviews, research-backed evidence, and disability studies, Slice shares insight into what the landscape is like for disabled parents—one that is scattered with unpredictable obstacles and inaccessible barriers. In overcoming these challenges, she describes how disabled parents are oftentimes more prepared to adapt to the demanding nature of parenthood, including the uncertainty of losing control over bodily autonomy.
Uplifting and powerful, Unfit Parent illuminates how disabled bodies and minds give us the hopeful perspectives and solutions we need for transforming a societal system that has left parents exhausted, stuck, and alone.
“A must for collections. This work offers much insight and interweaves the author’s personal experiences with interviews with numerous parents with a variety of disabilities about their experiences.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review
“A love letter to disabled parenting—an impeccably researched, reported, and referenced love letter—as well as an artfully drawn map of an exquisite, convivial society that can only be achieved with the creativity, skill, and joy of disabled people.”
—Angela Garbes, author of Essential Labor and Like a Mother
“This is such a glorious, revelatory book. Jessica Slice cuts through all the judgment and stereotypes to reveal the truth: disabled people are, in many ways, uniquely suited to and skilled at parenthood and are sources of wisdom, ingenuity, courage, and joy that the entire world can learn from.”
—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of An Immense World
“A beautiful, transformative book about being a parent in a world that rejects frailty and weakness.”
—Rachel Aviv, author of Strangers to Ourselves
“An absorbing portrayal of what it’s really like to be a disabled parent, including the shocking and understudied discrimination they face . . . A fierce, compassionate, and unremittingly lucid book that I’ll be returning to again and again.”
—Andrew Leland, Pulitzer Prize–finalist author of The Country of the Blind
“This vulnerable, insightful, and thoughtful book is a must-read for any parent seeking a map for how to care for their children—while also caring for their own needs—with creativity, community, and joy.”
—Rachel Somerstein, author of Invisible Labor
“Powerful, necessary, and filled with raw honesty . . . For anyone who believes in a more compassionate and equitable world.”
—Alyssa Blask Campbell, author of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions
“Jessica Slice’s story of disabled parenting will feel familiar to anyone who has been told their body is ‘not enough’ or ‘too much.’ Slice’s work deftly tells a deeply moving story, while grounding readers in the many ways ableism shows up in parenthood. Unfit Parent is a must-read for anyone committed to building a just and accessible world for parents and kids alike.”
—Aubrey Gordon, New York Times best-selling author and cohost of Maintenance Phase
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
Disability & Me (& You)
CHAPTER 2
We, Parents
CHAPTER 3
Deciding to Parent
CHAPTER 4
The First Week
CHAPTER 5
Parenting at Home
CHAPTER 6
In the World
CHAPTER 7
Medical Care
CHAPTER 8
Child Protective Services
CHAPTER 9
Ableism
EPILOGUE
March 2024
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
- “What Disability Taught Me About Parenting,” Cup of Jo, essay
- “The Wisdom of Disabled Parenting 2.0 with Jessica Slice,” The Mother of It All, Substack interview
- “The world often judges disabled parents. What if it listened to them?” The Washington Post, Q&A
- “A Conversation with Author Jessica Slice,” Diversability, Q&A
- “From the Nightmares of the Third Reich to Elon Musk: 10 Nonfiction Books to Read in April,” Literary Hub, included in reading roundup
- “April 2025 Reads for the Rest of Us,” Ms. Magazine, included in reading roundup
- “10 New Books to Read in April at the Arlington Public Library,” Arlington Magazine (Arlington, VA), listed in reading roundup