Adiba Nelson had always been critical of her appearance. ADIBA NELSON: Not skinny enough, too dark. My hair is too nappy. RASCOE: And then Ms. Nelson became a mother to a daughter with a disability.

For Noreen Masud, a lecturer in 20th-century literature at the University of Bristol, “it’s as though the landscape is sending us a message that we’re unable to decipher.” ...