This article discusses the complexities of facilitating community-based rehabilitation in resource-poor contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa. It does so through a reflection on the book Able-Bodied: Scenes from a Curious Life, written by Leslie Swartz, a South African expert on disability in the context of international development. Swartz uses his own personal experiences as son of a disabled father as a springboard for reflections on his long involvement in the often-fraught areas of disability research and activism. He pays particular attention to the way in which emotions shape the struggles around expertise and power that bedevil disability identity politics. In particular, his work highlights how the complex dynamics of race, class and disability undermine the effectiveness of the movement.