In honor of the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, July is observed as National Disability Pride Month. Here are some great memoirs written by people with disabilities to check out!
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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). |
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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. |
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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. |
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From the periphery : real-life stories of disability
by Pia Justesen FROM THE PERIPHERY consists of more than thirty first-person narratives by activists and everyday people who describe what it's like to be treated differently by society because of their disabilities. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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No time like the future : an optimist considers mortality
by Michael J. Fox The award-winning actor shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. |
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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. |
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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. Illustrations. |