Disability 101- 5 books to read to start your disability understanding/activist journey

Hi! I have wanted to put this list together for a while as an avid reader. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a great place to start or continue your understanding of disability and join the advocacy fight for equality. 

Demystifying Disability- Emily Ladau

Emily’s book is like a great Disability 101 course. I learned so much even as a disabled person who has been in the advocacy world for a minute. The book is well written and easy to read while learning so much. 

Being Heumann- Judy Heumann- 

This book made me mad! Especially as a former teacher the absolute crap that Judy was put through was just beyond. Judy is a legend in American disability rights and this book gives a detailed look at her immense work. It highlights how far we have come, and also how much farther we have to go to create lasting inclusion and change.

Say Hello-Carly Findlay-

 I learned so much from Carly. Her perspective as someone who lives with ichthyosis was one I had never heard from before. I loved listening to her story (I love listening to personal stories on audio) it’s a struggle I knew nothing about and the important discussions about staring and ignoring people who you are afraid of is a problem. This is a huge issue and when not dealt with leads to very dangerous laws. Go learn more and read her book.

On my own two feet- Amy Purdy-

I find Amy’s story and perspective so important and different as someone born disabled I find it important to learn from those who have had their lives turned upside down some time later during their lives. I had already followed Amy from her public shows and sporting achievements but I learned so much from reading her book. The internal and external struggles that she and her family went through and she continue to go through and share are so important to learn from.

Disability visibility- Alice Wong- 

This anthology put together by Alice is powerful. The platform she creates with her words, while giving space to the diverse voices of disabled people who may not have the same platform is so important. I have learned from every essay, some have made me uncomfortable which is important for growth. Disability isn’t a picture-perfect sanitized issue and that is powerfully highlighted in this book.

This is far from an exhaustive list of books on Disability to read. I think this is a good start with a few different perspectives and discussions that are a good place to start. I am still learning and reading more myself, I have books I am currently reading as well. When you check out any of these books start at your local library or bookstore first if they are accessible to you they are important community resources that we need to support when possible so they can continue to support us. Of course, check out the authors themselves if they have direct link options to support them directly if possible.

Bonus**

As a bonus, if you are into audio and podcasts as much as I am, these are three podcasts by disabled folks that have great diverse conversations about life with disability.

Podcasts to listen to 

1. Disabled and Proud- Brooke Millhouse has wonderful conversations with a diverse crowd of disabled people in a really fun and enjoyable way.

2. Disability after Dark- Andrew Gurza has important conversations that aren't talked about enough with disability sexuality and more.

3. Access All-is a great podcast by the BBC with great diverse panel conversations on disability by disabled folks.

I would love to hear your thoughts if you have read any of these books,and let me know which books you have read that I should read and add to my next disability book recommendation list.