Disability Pride Month

Every July, the city of Lake Oswego, Oregon recognizes Disability Pride Month with events throughout the city.

Disability Pride Month promotes acceptance of disability as an identity, community, and culture. It honors the history, achievements, and experiences of people with disabilities while challenging ableism and discrimination.

Disability pride is about embracing people with disabilities as fully human. It is not about denying challenges or “liking” one’s disability but rejecting shame and the idea that disabled people are less capable of contributing to society.

At Lake Oswego Public Library, we are proud to support Disability Pride Month with a growing collection of books by and about disabled people. These include works that reflect authentic disability experiences, often written by disabled authors themselves, avoiding stereotypes that reduce disability to plot devices or negative tropes. This month, explore our curated booklist that highlights diverse perspectives on disability:.


Updated June 24, 2025
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Access state-level health and demographic data about adults with disabilities.
Watch documentaries about the history of the disability rights movement and meet artists and families whose stories examine their disability experiences.

Although not yet officially recognized in the United States, since 2004 Disability Pride Month has been celebrated with parades in cities including New York, Chicago, Madison, and Los Angeles.

A quiet kind of thunder
Barnard, Sara
Paper Book
A girl who can't speak and a boy who can't hear go on a journey of self-discovery and find support with each other in this gripping, emotionally resonant novel from bestselling author Sara Barnard. Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Jandy Nelson. Steffi doesn't talk, but...
El deafo
Bell, Cece
Paper Book
Cece Bell's #1 New York Times Bestseller graphic novel El Deafo is the origin story of a student with hearing loss and a hearing aid becoming a superhero. A John Newbery Medal Winner Now an Apple+ Animated TV Series! ...
Beautiful people my thirteen truths about disability
Blake, Melissa (Blogger)
Paper Book
Well-known disability activist and social media influencer Melissa Blake offers a frank, illuminating memoir and a call to action for disabled people and allies. In the summer of 2019, journalist Melissa Blake penned an op-ed for CNN Opinion. A conservative pundit...
Mean little deaf queer : a memoir
Galloway, Terry.
Paper Book
In 1959, the year Terry Galloway turned nine, the voices of everyone she loved began to disappear. No one yet knew that an experimental antibiotic given to her mother had wreaked havoc on her fetal nervous system, eventually causing her to go deaf. As a self-proclaimed "child freak," she acted out...
Haben : the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law
Girma, Haben
Paper Book
The incredible life story of Haben Girma, the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, and her amazing journey from isolation to the world stage. Haben grew up spending summers with her family in the enchanting Eritrean city of Asmara. There, she...
Get a life, Chloe Brown a novel
Hibbert, Talia
Paper Book
"Absolutely charming... a flawless balance of humor, heat, sweetness, and depth, and I loved every page." - Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Bride Test USA TODAY BESTSELLER A witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who's tired of...
Thunder dog : the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero
Hingson, Michael
Paper Book
Faith.  Trust.  Triumph. "I trust Roselle with my life, every day. She trusts me to direct her. And today is no different, except the stakes are higher." ?Michael Hingson First came the boom'the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very...
But what will people say? navigating mental health, identity, love, and family between cultures
Kohli, Sahaj Kaur
Paper Book
A Harvard Public Health Best Public Health Book of 2024 "This wonderful book is a compass, a blueprint, a mirror, and a friend. Kohli gives language to what many of us feel but can't yet articulate."--Erika L. Sánchez, New York Times bestselling author of I am Not...
Demystifying disability : what to know, what to say, and how to be an ally
Ladau, Emily
Paper Book
An approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and whatnotto do) andhow you can help make the world a more inclusive place ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR- NPR, Booklist . "A candid,...
I'll scream later
Matlin, Marlee.
Paper Book
The compelling memoir of the Academy Award-winning actress and role model for 30 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people serves as an inspiration and a lesson in overcoming adversity. color photos.
Divergent mind : thriving in a world that wasn't designed for you
Nerenberg, Jenara
Paper Book
AUDIBLE EDITOR'S PICK A paradigm-shifting study of neurodivergent women--those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder--exploring why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from...
True biz : a novel
Novic?, Sara
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A "tender, beautiful and radiantly outraged" (The New York Times Book Review) novel that follows a year of seismic romantic, political, and familial shifts for a teacher and her students at a boarding school for the deaf, from the...
Sensory life on the spectrum : an autistic comics anthology
Ollerton, Bex
Paper Book
A colorful and eclectic comics anthology exploring a wide range of experiences in autism presented by autistic artists, from diagnosis journeys to finding community. From artist and curator Bex Ollerton comes an anthology featuring comics from thirty autistic creators about their...
Fortune favors the dead : a novel
Spotswood, Stephen
Paper Book
A wildly charming and fast-paced mystery written with all the panache of the hardboiled classics, Fortune Favors the Dead introduces Pentecost and Parker, an audacious new detective duo for the ages. "Razor-sharp style, tons of flair, a snappy sense of humor, and all the most...
Disability visibility : first-person stories from the Twenty-first century
Wong, Alice
Paper Book
A groundbreaking collection of first-person writing on the joys and challenges of the modern disability experience: Disability Visibility brings together the voices of activists, authors, lawyers, politicians, artists, and everyday people whose daily lives are, in the words of playwright...
Year of the tiger : an activist's life
Wong, Alice
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * ONE OF USA TODAY'S MUST-READ BOOKS * This groundbreaking memoir offers a glimpse into an activist's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability justice, from the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project ...

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