As we fight for a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable society, it is essential to educate ourselves about the realities of people with different abilities and disability justice. Disability is a diverse and complex experience that requires us to engage with the stories of disabled folks and keep in mind disabled people aren't a monolith, no two disabled individuals have the same experience.
Opportunities to learn through discussion often arise within our in-person communities but for those of us with disabilities ourselves, we know community events that aren’t organized with accessibility in mind can be challenging to navigate. This was made abundantly clear to anyone who wasn’t already aware during 2020 and now (we’re still in a pandemic, y’all!) when assessing the best practices for avoiding Covid-19 and reducing the spread.
Beyond gathering in-person or online, we may choose to listen to podcasts (or read the transcripts) and read books by disabled authors. Don’t forget listening to audiobooks counts as reading, of course! Accessibility isn’t just something we should prioritize for others, though that is essential, it is also a path forward we can intentionally create for ourselves. Consider your own needs when learning something new and remember that this work isn’t done in a day or a couple weeks. Take your time engaging with the educational material created by differently disabled folks you seek to understand and integrate.
Here are some of our top book recommendations related to disability and disability justice:
Capitalism and Disability by Marta Russell examines the relationship between capitalism and disability, arguing that disability is not just an individual medical problem but a social and political issue that is deeply rooted in our economic system. Disabilities are often leveraged to exploit the labor of disabled workers for profit and this book expands on this reality, offers a succinct critique of capitalism, and proposes alternative models of economic and social organization.
Black Disability Politics:Unveiling the Intersections of Identity, Power, and Liberation by Sami Schalk
Through meticulous research, personal narratives, and insightful analysis, this essential read unveils the systemic barriers and prejudices that perpetuate the erasure and exclusion of Black disabled voices. From historical contexts to contemporary issues, the book examines the complex dynamics at play, exposing how racism, ableism, and other forms of oppression intertwine and shape the lived experiences of Black disabled individuals. The personal is political and this book illustrates that reality clearly by examining it through the lens of disability justice and Black liberation.
Carework: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
This book is a collection of essays that explores the intersection of care work and disability justice. It highlights the experiences of disabled people who provide and receive care, and how care work can be a site of both resistance and transformation.
Also consider her book, Healing Justice: Holistic Self-Care for Change Makers which offers a holistic approach to true self-care for activists, with a focus on those in marginalized communities, including disabled people. It provides tools and strategies for healing from trauma and burnout. This is an essential read for anyone interested in sustaining long-term justice work.
And finally, consider reading her book The Future Is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes and Mourning Songs which is a collection of essays and poetry that explores disability justice and the ways in which disabled individuals are continuously working to create a more equitable future.
A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen offers a comprehensive history of disability in the United States, tracing the ways disabled people have been treated and represented throughout history. From ancient civilizations to the present day, Nielsen unveils the often overlooked contributions and resilience of disabled people, challenging prevailing narratives of exclusion and marginalization.
The Mark of Slavery: Disability, Race and Gender in Antebellum America by Jennifer L. Barclay
Drawing from extensive archival sources, Barclay uncovers stories of enslaved people with disabilities, challenging the prevailing narratives that have marginalized their voices. This thought-provoking book explores how disability was both constructed and exploited in the oppressive system of slavery, revealing the ways in which race, gender, and disability intersected to shape the lives of enslaved people.
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington exposes the troubling true history of medical experimentation on Black Americans, including unethical and often deadly practices that have been carried out throughout history and how they impact health care for Black people in the United States today.
Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation by Eli Clare is about the intersection of disability and queerness. This book shows how these communities often overlap and individuals within them have a lot in common in terms of their experiences of oppression.
Crip Theory: Cultural Signs of Queerness and Disability by Robert McRuer is a critical analysis of all the ways in which disability and queerness intersect with culture, including in literature, film, and other popular media.
Unruly Bodies: Life Writing by Women with Disabilities by Susannah B. Mintz is a stunning collection of work with first-hand perspective on what it means to live with a disability as a woman.The author rejects the tired “inspirational” narratives and discusses the important work of eight American autobiographers: Nancy Mairs, Lucy Grealy, Georgina Kleege, Connie Panzarino, Eli Clare, Anne Finger, Denise Sherer Jacobson, and May Sarton.
An Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design by Bess Williamson explains the history of design in relation to disability, including the ways it can facilitate or hinder accessibility for disabled folks.
A Disability of the Soul: An ethnography of schizophrenia and mental illness in contemporary Japan by Karen Nakamura is an ethnography of schizophrenia and mental illness in contemporary Japan, exploring the ways in which these conditions are understood and treated in Japanese society.
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong is a collection of essays and personal stories by disabled people, covering a wide range of topics including identity, community, activism, and representation. It provides a diverse and nuanced perspective on disability and challenges stereotypes and misconceptions.
Consider also checking out her other book: Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire and her memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong where she tells her story and expands on her work as an activist for disability rights and offers valuable insight into the challenges and triumphs that come with the territory.
Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai explores the work of Sins Invalid, a disability justice and art collective that seeks to challenge ableism and other forms of oppression through art and activism.
Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson
This award-winning poetry collection explores the intersection of queerness and disability, drawing on Gibson’s personal experiences. These poems offer a powerful glimpse at the complexities of disability, loss, family, and gender identity. We think you’ll find value in this book even if you’re not typically interested in reading poetry. You may also easily find videos of selected poems from this book online if you’re not ready to add it to your shelf just yet!
Disability Incarcerated: Imprisonment and Disability in the United States and Canada edited by Liat Ben-Moshe, Chris Chapman, and Allison C. Carey examines the intersection of disability and incarceration, highlighting the ways in which disabled people are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system. It offers a critical analysis of the prison-industrial complex and proposes alternative approaches to justice and punishment.
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann tells the story of Judith Heumann, an well-known activist who is often called the Mother of Disability Rights. This book is her personal account of the disability rights movement and the ongoing struggle for justice, including her work on the Americans with Disabilities Act and other important pieces of legislation that continue to impact disabled peoples’ lives today.
Disability and Human Rights: A Global Perspective by Edurne García Iriarte, Roy McConkey & Robbie Gilligan offers a global perspective on disability and human rights, exploring the ways in which disabled individuals are often subject to human rights violations and offering insights into how these violations can be addressed going forward.
Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment by James Charlton offers a critical analysis of the ways in which disabled individuals have been oppressed throughout history, and asserts that true empowerment can only be achieved through the active involvement of disabled individuals themselves.
Conclusion
We hope our selections will help you get started reading diverse and intersectional perspectives on disability and disability justice! Remember that just because Disability Pride Month ends on August 1st, the fight for a more equitable future for disabled folks does not stop.
Ableism is baked into many aspects of our daily lives, we may often overlook it when it doesn’t apply to our own lived experience. Learning to see normalized ableism takes time and practice. When you do start to notice all the ways society has made disabled people an afterthought (or worse, not considered us at all) the more support you may need to process the frustration that may arise. You may realize you have biases and internalized ableism to work through and it is important to remember this is not a personal failure.
Recognizing your own relationship to ableism at all is a huge first step many never choose to take. Be kind to yourself as you uncover beliefs and ideas you may have unintentionally taken on and know that you aren’t alone in wanting to change them. While there is plenty you may choose to do on your own like reading some of the books listed here, this work is not meant to be done in isolation. Have a recommendation you'd like to share? Please leave us a comment! We would love to hear about your picks!
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