6 Books about disability you should read right now
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Books about disability, by disabled authors, are instrumental in giving disabled people a voice. These books can help to raise awareness about shared experiences of disability and plant an important seed for improved accessibility and disability inclusion.
The books about disability featured in today’s post have travelled with me far and wide. They’ve accompanied me in backpacks and suitcases, on car trips, planes, and train rides. I’ve read them all at least once and would genuinely recommend them to anyone looking to educate themselves on the topic of disability — or anyone simply looking for a good book. Here are 6 books about disability you should read right now:
1. Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau
If you want to dive into disability literature but don’t know where to start, Demystifying Disability is the ideal guide to kick off your research. This book gives a great overview of disability etiquette; disability history and identity; portrayals of disability in the media; and ableism. As described in the book’s blurb, Demystifying Disability will help you to be “a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people” and teaches you concrete steps to “help make the world a more accessible, inclusive place”.
Emily Ladau is a disability advocate and author based in New York. She has been featured in numerous interviews, including this video interview on ‘Disabled Representation in the Media’. Follow Emily Ladau on Instagram or learn more about her work here.
2. Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig
My second recommendation is Rebekah Taussig’s autobiography, Sitting Pretty. This informative and at times funny book takes readers through Rebekah Taussig’s experiences with disability from childhood onwards. Personal anecdotes give insight into wider societal perceptions of disability; the importance of disability representation; intersections of womanhood and disability; the impact of accessibility, and much more. I often nodded in agreement as I read Sitting Pretty, recognising many of Rebekah Taussig’s thoughts and feelings in my own experiences as a wheelchair user.
Rebekah Taussig (Ph.D.) is a disability advocate, teacher, and author. If you’re a fan of Rebekah Taussig’s work, I also recommend reading articles including ‘What is disabled motherhood like?’and ‘Here’s Why Kindness Toward Disabled People is More Complicated Than You Think’. Follow Rebekah Taussig on instagram or learn more about her work here.
3. If At Birth You Don’t Succeed by Zach Anner
If At Birth You Don’t Succeed made me laugh out loud more times than I could count. This brutally honest, witty memoir of life with cerebral palsy is a book I devoured during the pandemic. Zach Anner recounts experiences from his childhood; the highs and lows of his personal OWN travel show — Rollin’ with Zach; dating as a young adult; his career in comedy; and countless (often hilarious) adventures with friends.
Zach Anner is an American comedian, actor, and writer. Follow Zach Anner on Instagram or check out his YouTube channel here.
4. The Pretty One by Keah Brown
Keah Brown — a lover of fashion, rom coms, cheesecake, and Avri Lavigne music — created the #DisabledAndCute hashtag that went viral in 2017. The Pretty One is a collection of essays about Keah Brown’s life with cerebral palsy. Throughout twelve chapters, we learn about her perspective on disability in media and pop culture; societal perceptions of disability; and the intersection of what it means to be a black, disabled woman in the United States. Keah Brown’s bubbly personality shines through in the book, making it as entertaining of a read as it is educational.
Keah Brown is a disability activist, author, journalist, and screenwriter. Aside from The Pretty One, Keah Brown has written a children’s picture book, Sam’s Super Seats, and contributed to You Are the Best Thing by Brené Brown and Tarana Burke. Learn more about Keah Brown here.
5. Being Heumann by Judith Heumann
Paralysed from polio at the age of 1, Judith Heumann spent her life challenging societal assumptions of disability and advocating for disability rights. Being Heumann takes readers through experiences in Judith Heumann’s childhood, her early teaching career, and her pioneering days at the Center for Independent Living. Other chapters focus on Judith Heumann’s leading role in the 504 sit in and the establishment of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Ultimately, Judith Heumann’s lifelong perseverance propelled positive change for the entire disability community, both in the United States and beyond.
Judith Heumann (1947-2023) was an internationally celebrated disability rights activist. She was instrumental in the development of national and international disability rights legislation including the Americans With Disabilities Act and the UNCRPD. In addition to Being Heumann, Judith Heumann wrote a second book, Rolling Warrior. You’ll also recognise her in the award-winning Netflix documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. In March 2023, Forbes published a beautiful tribute to Judith Heumann: ‘‘The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Judith Heumann: A Trailblazer for Disability Rights’.
6. Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong
Disability Visibility is a collection of essays about a range of authors’ personal experiences of (different types of) disability. By sharing the stories of authors like Harriet McBryde Johnson, Elsa Sjunneson, and — the earlier mentioned — Keah Brown, Alice Wong highlights the diversity of disability and the need for disability inclusion. This educational anthology was published in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Alice Wong is a disability activist, writer, and founder & director of the Disability Visibility Project. She has written numerous articles including a 2023 CNN publication titled ‘What I’ve learned being reliant on a caregiver’ and a recent op-ed in Teen Vogue. In 2022, Alice Wong published a new national besteller, Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life.
