Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw by Eddie Ndopu
Review by Kim Cluthe, Senior Library Assistant, Central Library
"Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw" is a thought-provoking memoir by Black, queer, disability advocate Eddie Ndopu chronicling his struggles as the first disabled African student to attend the University of Oxford in Oxford, England.
When Eddie was a child, he was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy which is a degenerative disorder that affected his ability to care for himself physically. He excelled in school and attended the African Leadership Academy and Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His academic distinction then led to him being awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Oxford for his master's degree.
Unfortunately, the scholarship failed to accommodate Eddie’s care needs as a part of that full scholarship which is what this memoir unapologetically dives into. Eddie writes vulnerable stories that leave him exposed as he shares details about the ableism he faces constantly. He also writes about the failings of bureaucracy in ensuring his needs were met so he could study in dignity and safety. One of the biggest issues he faced was the lack of funding for and support from care aids which Eddie needs for day-to-day care. He advocated on behalf of himself regularly for more funds but ultimately was forced to fundraise thousands of dollars in order to remain at the university.
I was completely sucked into Eddie’s fight and devoured the book in a single sitting. While a lot of what Eddie had to go through is absolutely devastating, he keeps the tone light and fast-paced which made it a lot easier to read so quickly. Eddie’s words are also filled with hope for a future where people with disabilities are not expected to achieve excellence to be valued by their communities.
This book was eye-opening to me about the systemic barriers that still exist worldwide for people with disabilities. I highly recommend this book and others like it to learn more about other people’s lived experiences and what we can do to be anti-ableist.