On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, and July is known as Disability Pride Month. To celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of inspiring reads that showcase the voices and experiences of people with disabilities.
These stories shed light on misunderstood conditions, challenge stereotypes, and explore the complexities of how our capabilities shape our identity.
“Making Disability Visible” edited by Alice Wong
One in five people in the United States lives with a disability – some visible, some invisible – but both are underrepresented in the media and popular culture. In this anthology, activist Alice Wong brings together urgent and provocative contemporary essays by people with disabilities. These stories offer a glimpse into the rich and complex aspects of the disability experience, highlighting their passions, talents, and everyday lives.
“Live Your Life, Chloe Brown” by Talia Hibbert
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with goals and plans and lists. After nearly dying, she came up with six directives to “get her life back together.” And she’s already accomplished the first one: finally move out of her lavish family mansion. The next? Do bad things.
But it’s not easy being bad. When Chloe hires Redford “Red” Morgan, a popular handyman by day and secret artist by night, she learns things no one has ever told her – why he hates her wealthy family, why he won’t show his art to anyone, and what lies beneath his rough exterior…
“Signs Home” by Blair Fell
Arlo Dilly is young, handsome, and eager to meet the girl of his dreams. He is also deaf-blind, a Jehovah’s Witness, and under the strict protection of his controlling uncle. His chances of finding the one he loves seem slim to none. But once, many years ago, it happened. At a boarding school for the deaf, Arlo met the love of his life. But tragedy struck, and their love was lost forever. After years of trying to heal his broken heart, he begins to wonder if the hearing people he was supposed to trust had been lying to him all this time. Despite the many forces working against him, Arlo will do anything to find the girl he missed and experience all of life’s joyful possibilities.
“Journey to Infinity” by Jane Hawking
Professor Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous and remarkable scientists of our time. In this moving memoir, his first wife, Jane Hawking, tells the story behind their incredible marriage. While Stephen’s academic fame was soaring, his body was debilitated by attacks of motor neurone disease. Jane’s candid account of balancing the needs of her growing family with around-the-clock care for Stephen speaks to the author’s inner strength, while her husband’s self-evident character and achievements provide a remarkable story told with unwavering honesty.
“Disfigured” by Amanda Leduc
In fairy tales, happy endings are a given, as long as you’re beautiful and walk on two legs. By examining the ways fairy tales have shaped our expectations of disability, “Disfigured” points the way to a new world where disability serves not as a punishment or a disability, but as a way to center the protagonist and help them solidify their place in the story, and from there, the world. Throughout the book, Leduc reflects on the connections we make between fairy tale archetypes and seeks to understand them from a 21st century disabled person’s perspective.
“Haben” by Haben Girma
Born deaf, Haben Girma grew up with the vision to know if someone was in front of her and the hearing to know if someone nearby was speaking. But she had difficulty reading facial features and distinguishing people in group conversations. Relying on her problem-solving skills, Girma overcame her obstacles while simultaneously earning her undergraduate and then law degrees. Along the way, she developed new ways to communicate and found her calling to advocate for more accessible communication, education, and employment opportunities for the deaf and blind communities.
“Always Only You” Chloe Liese
Len knew from the moment they met that Frankie Zeferino was a girl worth waiting for. But as long as Frankie is the team’s social media manager, she’s out of reach. Perhaps in the past, Frankie would have preferred a man like him. But after learning of her diagnosis and being betrayed time and time again by people who saw her as a problem, not a person, she has wised up. After years of waiting for the right time to make a move, Len learns that Frankie plans to leave the team to pursue a new career. But what he didn’t expect was how hard he would have to work to be given a chance to win her heart.
Ashley Conner is a marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.