Disability Pride Month

This book list highlights books about disability that are instructive, own voices (written by people who have disabilities), or that have disability representation that isn't from the abled gaze (i.e. disability is not just a plot point to overcome, a curse, a punishment, or a sign that a character is evil or strange).

Disability pride is about embracing people with disabilities as fully human. Being proud to be disabled isn’t about liking your disability. It isn’t about pretending that disability doesn’t present challenges. Rather, claiming disability pride is a rejection of the notion that disabled people should feel ashamed their bodies or their disabilities. It’s a rejection of the idea that disabled people are less able to contribute and participate in the world.

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

Updated July 12, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Lake Oswego Public Library
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https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/impacts/oregon.html
Percentages and characteristics of adults with disabilities in Oregon compared to national estimates.
https://www.pbs.org/articles/disability-pride-month-and-the-disability-rights-movement/
Watch documentaries about the history of the disability rights movement and meet artists and families whose stories examine their disability experiences.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/07/22/observing-disability-pride-month-july
I only recently learned that July is Disability Pride Month. 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.
El deafo
Bell, Cece
Paper Book
The beloved #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor winning graphic novel memoir from Cece Bell   Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf....
The pretty one : on life, pop culture, disability, and other reasons to fall in love with me
Brown, Keah
Paper Book
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...
No excuses : growing up deaf and achieving my Super Bowl dreams
Coleman, Derrick, Jr.
Audiobook
In this inspirational memoir, Derrick Coleman, Jr., the Seattle Seahawks fullback who won the 2014 Super Bowl with the Seahawks in his second year in the NFL, relates his inspirational story of hard work and determination in his own words. Showcasing his unlikely and challenging journey to become...
The courage to compete : living with cerebral palsy and following my dreams
Curran, Abbey
Audiobook
A remarkable memoir by Miss Iowa USA Abbey Curran about living with cerebral palsy, competing in Miss USA, and her inspiring work with young women who have disabilities. Abbey Curran was born with cerebral palsy, but early on she resolved to never let it limit her. Abbey made history when...
Deaf utopia : a memoir-- and a love letter to a way of life
DiMarco, Nyle
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A heartfelt and inspiring memoir and celebration of Deaf culture by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international Deaf community Before becoming the actor, producer, advocate, and model...
The sign for home : a novel
Fell, Blair
Paper Book
Longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize When a young DeafBlind man learns the girl he thought was lost forever might still be out there, he embarks on a life-changing journey to find her--and his freedom. Arlo Dilly is young, handsome, and...
You're welcome, universe
Gardner, Whitney
Paper Book
A vibrant, edgy, fresh new YA voice for fans of More Happy Than Not and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, packed with interior graffiti. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award!   When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled...
The silence between us
Gervais, Alison
Ebook
Faced with the challenges of transitioning from a Hard of Hearing School to a Hearing high school, Maya has more than a learning curve. But what if she has more to learn about herself and how far she is willing to push for what she believes in? Perfect for contemporary fiction fans, The Silence...
The autistic brain : helping different kinds of minds succeed
Grandin, Temple
Paper Book
A cutting-edge account of the latest science of autism, from the best-selling author and advocate When Temple Grandin was born in 1947, autism had only just been named. Today it is more prevalent than ever, with one in 88 children diagnosed on the spectrum. And our thinking about it has...
Life on delay : making peace with a stutter
Hendrickson, John (Atlantic senior editor)
Paper Book
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. USA TODAY BOOK CLUB PICK . ONE OF AUDIBLE'S BEST BIOS AND MEMOIRS OF 2023 . "A raw, intimate look at Hendrickson's life with a stutter. It's a profoundly moving book that will reshape the way you think about people living with this condition."-...
Get a life, Chloe Brown a novel
Hibbert, Talia
Paper Book
Thunder dog : the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero
Hingson, Michael
Ebook
An instant New York Times bestseller, Thunder Dog tells the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the life-changing power of faith and trust in the face of terror. When one of four hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center's North Tower on September 11,...
The bride test
Hoang, Helen
Paper Book
Khai Diep has no feelings. Well he can't feel big emotions like love. He thinks he's defective. His mum knows that his autism means he just processes emotions differently, and goes to Vietnam to find him a wife. As a mixed race girl living in Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place,...
The kiss quotient
Hoang, Helen
Paper Book
From the author of The Bride Test comes a romance novel hailed as one of The Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Fiction in 2018 and one of Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2018! "This is such a fun read and it's also quite original and sexy and sensitive."--Roxane Gay,...
A curse so dark and lonely
Kemmerer, Brigid
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! "Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale." - Jodi Picoult In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance...
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 what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more inclusive place   ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, Booklist<...
Such a pretty girl : a story of struggle, empowerment, and disability pride
LaSpina, Nadina
Paper Book
A memoir by a disability rights activist Such a Pretty Girl is Nadina LaSpina's story--from her early years in her native Sicily, where still a baby she contracts polio, a fact that makes her the object of well-meaning pity and the target of messages of hopelessness; to her...
Always only you
Liese, Chloe
Paper Book
*ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY TOP 10 ROMANCE NOVEL OF 2020* Get ready for an emotional ride filled with laughter, longing, and a sweet slow-burn in this sports romance about love's power not in spite of difference, but because of it. Ren The moment I met...
Disability pride : dispatches from a post-ADA world
Mattlin, Ben
Paper Book
An eye-opening portrait of the diverse disability community as it is today, and how disability attitudes, activism, and representation have evolved since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) In Disability Pride, disabled journalist Ben Mattlin weaves...
What doesn't kill you : a life with chronic illness-lessons from a body in revolt
Miller, Tessa
Paper Book
"Should be read by anyone with a body. . . . Relentlessly researched and undeniably smart." --The New York Times Named one of BuzzFeed's "Best Books of 2021" What Doesn't Kill You is the riveting account of a young journalist's...
Sick kids in love
Moskowitz, Hannah
Paper Book
An ALA Sydney Taylor Award Honoree A Junior Library Guild Selection Isabel has one rule: no dating. It's easier-- It's safer-- It's better-- --for the other person. She's got issues. She's got secrets. She's got rheumatoid arthritis....
Ain't that a mother : postpartum, palsy, and everything in between
Nelson, Adiba
Paper Book
From pasties to postpartum and everything in between No one said motherhood would be easy. For Adiba Nelson, the journey to parenthood started with a big bang and continues with a breakdown (or two) and several "why?" questions for God. Witty and bold, Afro-Latina Adiba grew up in...
A disability history of the United States
Nielsen, Kim E.
Paper Book
The first book to cover the entirety of disability history, from pre-1492 to the present Disability is not just the story of someone we love or the story of whom we may become; rather it is undoubtedly the story of our nation. Covering the entirety of US history from pre-1492 to...
The oracle code : a graphic novel
Nijkamp, Marieke
Ebook
Unbroken : 13 stories starring disabled teens
Nijkamp, Marieke
Paper Book
This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today's teen readers a glimpse into the lives of...
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,...
Neurotribes : the legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity
Silberman, Steve
Ebook
Code of conduct
White, April
Audiobook
Something to talk about
Wilsner, Meryl
Paper Book
Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet and the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn't come at a worse time - threatening Emma's promotion and Jo's new movie. The gossip starts to affect all areas of their lives; paparazzi are...
Disability visibility : 17 first-person stories for today : adapted for young adults
Wong, Alice
Paper Book
Disabled young people will be proud to see themselves reflected in this hopeful, compelling, and insightful essay collection, adapted for young adults from the critically acclaimed adult book, Disability Visibility- First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century that "sheds light on...
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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