Eight Books To Read This Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month, which celebrates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and disability. Here are our favorite must-read books featuring disability representation and written by disabled authors.

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann

Via amazon.com

This memoir tells the story of Judy Heumann, the leader of the Disability Rights Movement. Her memoir discusses life as a disabled person and inaccessibility in the United States before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It discusses the early days of the Disability Rights Movement, including the Section 504 Sit-In. This little-known protest is the longest takeover of a government building in US history. Heumann played a significant role in pressuring the government to advance disability rights in the 1960s and 1970s and would continue her career as a disability rights activist with governmental positions under several Presidential administrations. Heumann’s memoir expands upon some of the information presented in the Netflix documentary Crip Camp.

Buried Beneath by Kelly Ann Hopkins

GenZ Publishing / Via amazon.com

TW // eating disorders, suicide

Kelly Ann Hopkins’ debut novel explores Shelley Frank’s life as she lives with her mother while wishing to be anywhere else. Shelley hides her mother’s disabilities from the world, as one of them includes a hoarding disorder. When Shelley’s father offers her a one-way ticket to Florida, she finds herself being able to rekindle their relationship. However, that flame is extinguished when her declining health hospitalizes her and her mother’s health suddenly declines. Hopkins’ novel tackles lesser-known disabilities alongside mental health and eating disorders. Her eBook releases on August 3, 2021.

Then and There, Here and Where by Esabella and Michael Strickland

GenZ / Via amazon.com

This #OwnVoices story follows Orabella, who battles ableism at school due to her learning disabilities, including dyslexia and ADHD. She stumbles into a magical world in Ancient Egypt that’s full of ancient spirits, time-traveling, and the Tree of Life that maintains the stability of the entire universe. She must learn how to defend the Tree of Life against the dark forces threatening the world’s natural order. This book, written by a disabled teen author and her father, is perfect for readers looking for a story featuring a powerful disabled hero. The Stricklands are currently adapting their book into a screenplay.

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc

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Leduc takes a deep dive into disability representation in the media and how this shapes the public perception of disabled people. She discusses how pivotal fairy tales have shaped negative stereotypes surrounding disability, as fairy tale villains are often disabled or otherwise disfigured. Leduc investigates modern fairy tale retellings for disability representation, including Disney films. In addition, she offers valuable insight into how challenging it is for disabled people to live in a world where this is often the only representation in the media.

My Silly Illy by Campbell Dwyer

GenZ Publishing / Via amazon.com

Inspired by Campbell Dwyer’s lived experiences with an ostomy, My Silly Illy is a comedic introduction to living with ileostomy. This children’s book helps children understand what is happening to their body. The main character is a disabled superhero.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

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CeCe Bell drew upon her lived experience as a Deaf child to write El Deafo, a graphic novel about a Deaf girl being the only Deaf girl in her class. This semi-autobiography features CeCe as a child who recently switched from an all Deaf school to a school with all hearies and immediately experienced ableism. CeCe has a hearing aid that she lovingly calls the Phonic Ear that allows her to hear everything - and perhaps what she’s not supposed to hear. So she dons the superhero alter ego, El Deafo, as a coping mechanism to help her brave the ableist storm at her new school.

Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma

Via amazon.com

Less than 0.6% of all lawyers have a disability: Haben Girma is one of them. But, she’s not just a lawyer; she’s the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law. Her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, discusses the barriers she faced when applying for and attending law school and what influenced her career choice. She also discusses her experiences growing up Deafblind. After graduation, Girma has become a world-renowned human rights lawyer with a specific focus on disability rights, earning honors, awards, and recognition from President Barack Obama, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and President Bill Clinton. She also works as an accessibility consultant for companies including Apple, Lenovo, and Microsoft.

Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

Via amazon.com

TW // Ableism, illegal medical experiments, torture, medical abuse

Deaf author and librarian Ann Clare LeZotte drew upon #OwnVoices experiences and the real-life historically Deaf community of Martha’s Vineyard of the 19th century to create her series “Show Me a Sign”. The first installment, Show Me a Sign, introduces readers to Mary Lambert and the Deaf island community of Martha’s Vineyard. Life is good on the island until a young non-disabled scientist appears and is fascinated by an island full of only Deaf people. He wants to know the cause, so he captures Mary as a test dummy to perform grotesque medical experiments. This series probes readers’ perceptions of disability and forces readers to confront their own ableist bias that being non-disabled is the default setting for humanity and that being disabled is inherently wrong. LeZotte’s second book in the series, Set Me Free, releases in September 2021.