Acknowledgments

This book has been a multi-year undertaking that was supported by many people, including Kendra Harding, who co-authored the first draft of this text, and contributing author Monica McKirdy. Specifically, I appreciate the knowledge, vision, and encouragement of Open Oregon Educational Resources team members Amy Hofer, Jen Klaudinyi, Veronica Vold, Stephanie Lenox, Shanell Sanchez, Phoebe Daurio, Michaela Willi Hooper, Heather Blicher, Jonathan Poritz, Michelle Culley, and Maria Fenerty. Maggie Frankel gets a line of her own for helping me so much with writing, citing, attributing, navigating, fixing things, and generally staggering to the finish line.

I am indebted to my colleagues at PCC and the PSRB, who generously and patiently shared their vast expertise with me upon demand, and to the other authorities upon whose knowledge I heavily relied. The work of many artists adds so much to this text, and I appreciate the ability to use their work to improve my own. I wrote this book for my wonderful students at Portland Community College, whom I am so lucky to know and who teach me all the time.

Finally, I am especially thankful to my dear family: Aaron, Josephine, Harriet, Cash, Samson, Winnie, and Charleston. Samson, especially, has been a non-stop source of insight on the topics of disability, mental disorders, societal injustice, and advocacy; he inspires and informs my work on these topics.

Anne Nichol