Each human being is built differently. Unfortunately, some of these differences can give rise to societal, cultural, and personal difficulties. Some of these differences come in the form of disabilities, which can be nonphysical.
Understanding disability can be complex and frustrating, especially since people with disabilities cope in different ways. There’s also the stigma they experience, which often leads to them being devalued and discriminated against.
Books on Disability
Disability comes in many forms, whether cognitive, mental, physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental or a combination of these. They can be present from birth or gained during a person’s lifetime. A lot of them are permanent, but some may also be temporary.
Here are a few books that discuss disability, its many forms, and its effects on people who have them and those they interact with.
1. Disability Visibility by Alice Wong
Here, disability activist Alice Wong brings together many voices from the disabled community to share their stories. From Jeremy Woody’s nightmare incarceration as a deaf man to Harriet McBryde’s debate for her right to live, this book gives a glimpse into the hardships and triumphs that many disabled people experience.
2. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has spent three decades working with trauma survivors, from veterans suffering from PTSD to people who grew up in violent households. He discusses how trauma can literally reshape the mind and body, and how this affects a person’s ability to socialize, experience pleasure, and engage with others.
Here, he explores innovative and traditional treatments—from neurofeedback to theater—that can help a person heal from trauma so that they can rebuild their lives.
3. Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig
Growing up in the ’90s and 2000s, Rebekah saw how pervasive the media depicts disability as monstrous, inspiring, or angelic. It was, to her, an oversimplification of something that could be fulfilling and ordinary but also painful and complex.
In this book, she reflects on a lifetime of memories and experiences as a disabled person. She talks about ableism, the media, and how she eventually reclaims being comfortable in her body.
4. The Body Silent by Robert F. Murphy
Robert Murphy was at the height of his career as an anthropologist when he was diagnosed with a slow-growing tumor in his spinal cord. It led to the impairment of his central nervous system, loss of his bodily functions, and turned him into a quadriplegic.
In this first-hand account, Murphy explores the emotional, psychological, and social impact of disability, shedding much light on the barriers that a disabled person faces.
5. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Lia Lee experienced her first seizure at only three months of age. It started years of back-and-forth visits to the hospital, and a persistent history of miscommunication and mistrust between her Western doctors and Hmong parents.
The dichotomy between Lia’s parent’s spiritual beliefs and her doctors’ scientific views further drives home how complicated a disabled person’s treatment can be. As a result, Lia’s case has since become one of the biggest symbols of cultural competence in medical care.
6. Haben: The deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma
As a child, Haben Girma was taught how to be strong and resilient by her parents—something they learned from Eritrea’s thirty-year war with Ethiopia.
It is these lessons that kept her going as she traveled the world, developed a text-to-braille communication system, and became the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. In this book, she describes disability as an opportunity for innovation, not only for one’s self but also for others.
7. The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey through Madness by Elyn R. Saks
Elyn Saks began hearing voices at a time when schizophrenia was largely misunderstood. It led to years of paranoia and the inability to recognize reality from her delusions.
However, through scientific developments and treatment, she was able to overcome the barriers her condition brought. It paved the way to a successful career as a professor, lawyer, and psychiatrist. In this memoir, she writes about the past and ongoing difficulties she faces with her disorder.
8. The New Disability History: American Perspectives by Paul K. Longmore and Lauri Umansky
From eugenics to current issues about access and representation, the disabled have always been part of American history, though often ignored or disregarded. It is only recently that historians have begun to discuss a subject that has always been mired in religious, cultural, and medical misconceptions.
Here, Longmore and Umansky bring together contributions from 14 academics of varying disciplines. Together, they discuss the role of disability in shaping American history, along with its status as more than just a medical issue.
9. Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw
Shane Burcaw is just like every other guy you know. He plays video games, enjoys bathroom humor, and has dated several women before. The only difference is he’s experienced all these while living with spinal muscular atrophy
From everyday issues to how he has sex, he leaves nothing to the imagination in describing his life from the perspective of a wheelchair.
10. Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner
Known as the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement”, Judith Heumann’s work brought about significant advances in the development of legislation and policies that benefit people with disabilities. This memoir chronicles her life from infancy to becoming one of the world’s most influential disability activists.
Working on Stigmas
In recent years, through the relentless work of countless advocates, disability awareness is at an all-time high. Plenty of worthwhile actions are happening as more people choose to actively participate in a conversation that has been going on for decades.
However, people with disabilities still face a high amount of discrimination due to deep-set stigmas surrounding disability. It doesn’t help that there are still a lot of misguided shows and literature that portray them as objects of pity, helplessness, and incompetence.
It’s important to recognize and challenge these stereotypes in order to promote understanding, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for disabled people. Because the bottom line is, they’re just people with difficulties that are different from what most people experience.
What are your favorite books about disabilities? Share them in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
