Disability Pride Reading List

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com (Maria Stavreva)

Note: This list will use both person-first and identity-first language to refer to the disabled community. This intentional decision is to be inclusive of the ways the disability community identifies. 

Our supporting organization, Diversability, suggests that where possible, ask a disabled person about their preferred terminology. We’ve followed the guidance of the National Center on Disability and Journalism Disability Language Style Guide in curating this list. 

Disability Pride Month, observed every July, commemorates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. This landmark legislation was pivotal in breaking down barriers and ensuring greater inclusion for people with disabilities.

To help celebrate the month, we’ve curated this book list, which features authors and stories that reflect the diverse experiences of the disability community. 

Non-Fiction

• I’ll Scream Later by Marlee Matlin: A candid memoir by the acclaimed Deaf actress (and past Conferences for Women speaker), recounting her journey through Hollywood and her advocacy for the Deaf community.
• The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World by Tiffany Yu (Release date October 8, 2024. Available for pre-order): Founder of advocacy organization Diversability and creator of the viral Anti-Ableism Series on TikTok, Tiffany Yu’s revelatory examination of disability—how to unpack your biases and build a disability-inclusive and accessible world.
• Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong: An anthology of essays by disabled contributors, offering perspectives on life, culture, and disability rights.
• Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig: Memoir reflecting on the author’s life with a disability, challenging perceptions and advocating for change.
• The Pretty One by Keah Brown: Personal essays on disability, self-love, and navigating life as a Black woman with both cerebral palsy and invisible disabilities. 
• Haben: The Deafblind Woman who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Grima: Autobiography of a Deafblind woman who became a successful Harvard Law graduate.
• Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: Essays on disability justice, focusing on care, community, and advocacy.
• Say Hello by Carly Findlay: Memoir and guide on living with a visible disability and advocating for acceptance.
• Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc: Explores how fairy tales shape perceptions of disability and calls for more inclusive narratives.
• Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir Of A Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner: Memoir of a leading disability rights activist and her lifelong fight for equality.
• Demystifying Disability: What To Know, What To Say, and How To Be an Ally by Emily Ladau: Guide for allies to understand disability, improve communication, and support inclusion.
• Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson: Humorous memoir about living with mental illness, embracing life’s absurdities.
• QDA: A Queer Disability Anthology edited by Raymond Luczak: Anthology of queer disability narratives, highlighting diverse experiences and identities.
• The Future is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes, and Mourning Songs by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: Essays on disability, activism, and envisioning a future that embraces disabled people.
• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey: Memoir of living with a chronic illness, observing the life of a snail.
• Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong: Memoir of an activist’s life and experiences, advocating for disability rights.
• The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang: Essays documenting the realities of living with schizoaffective disorder, exploring identity and mental health.
• My Body and Other Crumbling Empires by Lindsey Medford: A memoir about living with a rare autoimmune disorder and the societal illnesses we face.
• Easy Beauty by Chloé Cooper Jones: The author’s reflections on disability, beauty, and how to find beauty in life’s challenges.
• We’ve Got This edited by Eliza Hull: An anthology of stories from parents with disabilities, exploring their experiences and resilience.

Fiction

• Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp: Anthology of stories featuring disabled teen protagonists, showcasing diverse experiences.
• Run by Kody Keplinger: A young adult novel about a blind girl navigating high school and friendships.
• Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein: A story about a teenage girl with arthritis finding her place in a new school.
• A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan: A novel about a neurodivergent woman navigating a night out in Melbourne.
• True Biz by Sara Novic: A novel set at a school for the Deaf, following a teenager learning ASL and discovering her identity.
• Sign for Home by Blair Fell: A novel about a DeafBlind man navigating love and independence.

Children’s

• ABC Let’s Celebrate You and Me by Sugar Snap Studio: An alphabet book celebrating diversity and inclusion.
• I Will Dance by Nancy Bo Flood and Julianna Swaney: A story of a girl with cerebral palsy who dreams of dancing.
• Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari and Patrice Barton: A story about a therapy dog who helps a girl with disabilities.
• Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin by Tracy Newman and Abigail Halpin: A biography of violinist Itzhak Perlman, who overcame polio to become a celebrated musician.

Young Adult

• Ab(solutely) Normal edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter and Rocky Callen: A collection of stories about mental health disorders written by diverse authors.
• The Degenerates by Jennifer Ann Mann: Historical fiction set in the 1920s about institutionalized teens with disabilities.
• El Deafo by Cece Bell: A graphic novel memoir about a girl with a hearing aid navigating childhood.
• Meet Me in Outer Space by Melinda Grace: Romantic YA story of a girl with a learning disability exploring love and life.
• Roll With It by Jamie Sumner: A story of a girl with cerebral palsy who dreams of becoming a baker.
• The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais: YA novel about a Deaf girl adjusting to a hearing school and new relationships.
• Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger: A story about a girl losing her eyesight and finding solace in fostering a dog.
• Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos: A novel about a nonverbal autistic girl coping with the Challenger disaster.