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July is Disability Pride Month

In honor of the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, July is observed as National Disability Pride Month. Here are some great books by and about people with disabilities to check out!

The anti-ableist manifesto : smashing stereotypes, forging change, and building a disability-inclusive world

by Tiffany Yu

With contributions from disability advocates, activists, authors, entrepreneurs, scholars and executives, a title by the founder of Diversability breaks down the language of ableism, identifies microaggressions and proposes real actions that lead to genuine and authentic allyship. 

Beautiful people : my thirteen truths about disability

by Melissa Blake

The disability activist and social media influencer shares her story of living with a genetic bone and muscular disorder and the struggles that millions like her face in a society that makes them feel invisible. 

Being seen : one deafblind woman's guide to end ableism

by Elsa Sjunneson

In this blend of memoir, media criticism and cultural critique, the Deafblind writer and four-time Hugo Award finalist discusses how the media represents disability in books, movies and TV, as well as her efforts to fight ableism. 

Connecting dots : a blind life

by Joshua Alexander Miele

This powerful memoir of resilience and innovation details a blind scientist's journey from childhood trauma to work in accessibility while embracing identity, overcoming challenges and shaping revolutionary technologies with humor and love. 30,000 first printing.

The country of the blind : a memoir at the end of sight

by Andrew Leland

In a book that is part memoir, part historical and cultural investigation, the author, midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, explores the state of being that awaits him, not only the physical experience of blindness but also its language, politics and customs so he can not only survive this transition but grow from it.

Deaf utopia : a memoir--and a love letter to a way of life

by Nyle DiMarco

A heartfelt and inspiring memoir and deaf culture anthem by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international deaf community.

Disability intimacy : essays on love, care, and desire

by Alice Wong

This follow up to the groundbreaking anthology Disability Visibility presents first-person accounts of the joy and challenges of the disabled experience and a more inclusive definition of what it can mean to be intimate with another person. 

Disability pride : dispatches from a post-ADA world

by Ben Mattlin

An eye-opening portrait of the diverse disability community as it is today and how attitudes, activism, and representation have evolved since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Disability visibility : first-person stories from the twenty-first century

by Alice Wong

This collection of essays from contemporary disabled writers celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act focuses on issues such as disabled performers in the theater and the everyday lives of the community. 

Down syndrome out loud : 20+ true stories of disability and determination

by Melissa Hart

In this illustrated biography collection, meet over twenty people with Down syndrome who have accomplished amazing things in their lives. Excelling in film, sports, business, photography, and more, these people are changing hearts and minds about their disability. Read about Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathlon, and Isabella Springmuhl Tejada, the first designer with Down syndrome invited to showcase her work at London Fashion Week. Learn about the Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and other organizations who support the Down syndrome community. Each of these stories will educate and inspire young readers, both kids with Down syndrome and their family members, friends, classmates, and teammates!

Fat off, fat on : a big bitch manifesto

by Clarkisha Kent

Fat Off, Fat On: A Big Bitch Manifesto is cultural critic Clarkisha Kent's memoir of navigating the world as a fat, Black, queer woman.

I felt the cheers : the remarkable silent life of Curtis Pride

by Curtis Pride

On a September night in Montreal in 1993, Curtis Pride got his first Major League hit, prompting a long, emotional standing ovation from the crowd of 45,757 fans. Profoundly deaf since birth, Pride couldn't hear their thunderous applause. But as the cheers grew louder and more insistent, he realized he was feeling those vibrations within his chest-an undeniable acknowledgment of an extraordinary achievement. Pride went on to play in 420 more major-league games over eleven different seasons with the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees. He was then hired as head baseball coach at Gallaudet, the world's leading university for deaf and hard of hearing students and was also named Major League Baseball's Ambassador for Inclusion. Pride has received countless national and local awards for his achievements and his service in inspiring and educating others...

Interabled : true stories about love and disability from Squirmy & Grubs and other interabled couples

by Shane Burcaw

Interabled follows the lives of several couples as they navigate their love story in an ableist world. Sometimes tear-jerking, sometimes funny, but always heartwarming, this moving collection comprised of interviews and short stories--with interludes from Shane and Hannah about their own dating, marriage, and IVF journey--will have readers laughing and sobbing as they discover true stories of love and commitment. With his signature wit and hilarious voice, author, blogger, and entrepreneur Shane Burcaw has put together an inspiring and true story collection of sweet, funny, and often miraculous love stories of different interabled couples.

Leg : the story of a limb and the boy who grew from it : a memoir

by Greg Marshall

In a hilarious and heartfelt memoir, the author shares outrageous stories of a singular childhood and his coming out of two closets--as a gay man and as a man living with cerebral palsy--examining what it means to transform when there are parts of yourself that cannot be changed

A life impossible : living with ALS : finding peace and wisdom within a fragile existence

by Steve Gleason

A former NFL player who was diagnosed with ALS shares his story of living with a disease that doctors said should have killed him a decade ago and how he has learned to love and treasure life. Illustrations.

Loving our own bones : disability wisdom and the spiritual subversiveness of knowing ourselves whole

by Julia Watts Belser

A spiritual companion and political manifesto that cuts through objectification and inspiration alike to offer a powerful new account of disability in biblical narrative and contemporary culture.

Nothing special : the mostly true, sometimes funny tales of two sisters

by Dianne Ellen Bilyak

A memoir about the relationship of two sisters who are less than a year apart, one with Down syndrome and the other with depression/anxiety, and their struggle for independence and connection.

The pretty one : on life, pop culture, disability, and other reasons to fall in love with me

by Keah Brown

From the disability rights advocate and creator of the #DisabledAndCute viral campaign, a thoughtful, inspiring, and charming collection of essays exploring what it means to be black and disabled in a mostly able-bodied white America. Keah Brown loves herself, but that hadn't always been the case. Born with cerebral palsy, her greatest desire used to be normalcy and refuge from the steady stream of self-hate society strengthened inside her. But after years of introspection and reaching out to others in her community, she has reclaimed herself and changed her perspective. In The Pretty One, Brown gives a contemporary and relatable voice to the disabled -- so often portrayed as mute, weak, or isolated. With clear, fresh, and light-hearted prose, these essays explore everything from her relationship with her able-bodied identical twin (called 'the pretty one' by friends) to navigating romance; her deep affinity for all things pop culture--and her disappointment with the media's distorted view of disability; and her declaration of self-love with the viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute.

Sipping Dom Perignon through a straw : reimagining success as a disabled achiever

by Eddie Ndopu

A global humanitarian born with spinal muscular atrophy—and the first-ever disabled African awarded a full scholarship at Oxford University—shows how he broke through every barrier put in front of him—a queer, black wheelchair user—challenging the bias at the highest echelons of power and prestige. 

Unfit parent : a disabled mother challenges an inaccessible world

by Jessica Slice

Navigating the joys, stigma, and discrimination of disabled parenting-and how the solutions offered by disability culture can transform the way we all raise our kids.