the idea that disabled people should be protected because they are somehow inherently vulnerable". Journal of Social Policys Rebecca Porter similarly praised that Ryan's mixture of case studies and statistics "put a human face on the crisis". Believing the book was "very timely and desperately needed", Porter saw its role as similar to The Disabled State by Deborah Stone, a 1984 book that explored government rhetoric around disability and the welfare state. Porter criticised, however, that the book gives little attention to welfare restrictions like the Work Capability Assessment under Gordon Brown's Labour government. Mike Ervin of The Progressive chose the book as his favourite of 2019, finding that its presentation of British conservatism parallels American conservative policy on disability. The Independent recommended the book in 2021 as one of the "8 best books to read that inspire change this International Women's Day". Joanna Whitehead praised its "rigorous reporting", its "shattering case studies" and its "history of the hard-won rights secured by disabled people". Hen Night Based on Crippled, Ryan and Vici Wreford-Sinnott created a 20-minute short film, Hen Night, for BBC iPlayer. It was released on 2 September 2021. A fictional disabled trainee teacher in her 20s, Jessica, recounts her hasty hen night, scheduled to just precede the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. She describes the difficulties she faces as her government support is withdrawn. Kate Lovell of Disability Arts Online lauded the piece as "fiercely urgent". Lovell praised the "cool and steely naturalism" of Chegwin and the film's attention to detail—such as the implication of no steam rising from a "hot" drink Jessica pours. The short film arose after Wreford-Sinnott—the creator of a play about disability and austerity—contacted Ryan after reading Crippled. They wanted to feature a young disabled person who enjoys their life and needs social care to maintain their independence, in order to challenge narratives that disabled people lead unhappy lives and that social care is for older people. Jessica is played by Nicola Chegwin, a disabled actor. The film was commissioned as part of the BBC's Culture in Quarantine series. The Guardian reported that it was "the first ever disabled, women-led piece of UK broadcasting". References Further reading External links Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People at Verso Books Hen Night at BBC iPlayer 2019 non-fiction books Austerity Books about politics of the United Kingdom Disability literature Non-fiction books adapted into films