Top 10 Books About Life With A Disability
I had absolutely no idea. I’d had opportunities to connect with incredible people with disabilities over the years, but I admit I never really understood. I still don’t have a perfect understanding of what it is like to live with a disability, but meeting and helping Ashley Overby with her book has been life changing.
I know I’m not alone in wanting to deepen my understanding and expand my perspective. If you, too, are hoping to build a clearer picture of life with a disability, here are my top 10 book recommendations to help you get started!
Non-Fiction:
Ashley Overby may have cerebral palsy, but that has never stopped her from shooting for the stars and reaching for her goals. This book is a collection of her thoughts, experiences and creative writing samples - each given unique life and color by her disability, or "special ability," as she likes to call it.
This is a story of endurance, courage, love and second chances. Life with a disability is never easy, but Ashley has taken each experience with an open mind and learned all she can. She now shares with readers around the world what her life is like, which anchors help her soar despite her disability, and how her second chances at life have helped her develop the strength to give second chances to others.
This book gives an overview of what cerebral palsy is and what it is like to live with CP. The author explains in depth how this disability has affected her daily and family life, especially her rocky relationship with her father. She eventually chose to cut him out of her life, that is, until an unexpected door opened with an opportunity to heal their relationship and understand each other like never before.
2. The Story of My Life, by Helen Keller
As the title suggests, this is the life story of Helen Keller. Beginning at her famous, ground breaking experience learning how to communicate W-A-T-E-R with Anne Sullivan, Helen’s life story is one you don’t want to miss. In her own words, Helen shares her experiences, challenges and successes that shaped her life. Helen’s life has become a beacon of hope for people around the world.
3. Disability Visability, by Alice Wong
This book is a collection of essays, written by people living with various disabilities. It has been compiled by Alice Wong, award winning author of Year of the Tiger and founder of the Disability Visibility online community. Disability Visibility offers insight into life with a disability - its ups and downs, challenges and successes, and the rich complexity and abundance of every day life. Among the key takeaways are that disabled people have a warm culture, complex history, and forward momentum. The perspectives shared are important for audiences of all ages.
4. The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength and the Power of Family, by Josh Hanagarne
Josh Hanagarne has lived with Tourette’s Syndrome and a special affinity for literature all his life. After receiving his diagnosis in high school, he finally had a name for his condition, but few answers or solutions. After trying everything from holistic remedies to strong medications and injections, Josh finally found someone who taught him to channel his energies into strength-training. Josh went on to become a librarian and brings his experiences working in the library into the pages of his memoir.
5. Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body, By Rebecca Taussig
Rebekah Taussig gives the reader a “fly on the wall” view of her inner world through her collection of essays about everything from living in a body that doesn’t fit, looking for examples to identify with, and the tug of war between dependence and independence. Her message to the world is that disability affects everyone - directly or indirectly. By sharing her story, she hopes more stories will be shared, which will help society at large become more patient, more proactive, and more kind.
Fiction:
6. Out of My Mind, By Sharon Draper
This book is about an eleven-year-old girl named Melody. She has all the thoughts, hopes and dreams of a girl her age. The challenge is, she can’t walk, talk, or write. Melody has cerebral palsy. Although cerebral palsy has created many physical limitations for her, Melody’s mind is exceptionally active, alert and attentive. This book is a wonderful story about creative problem solving, finding patience and purpose when the odds seem stacked against you, and the importance of being seen.
7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
One New York Times Book Review says it best, “Disorienting and reorienting the reader to devastating effect.... Suspenseful and harrowing.”
This story is about Christopher John Francis Boone, a boy with autism who has a special affinity for geography, animals and numbers. When the neighbor’s dog is murdered, Christopher sets out to solve the crime. Seeing the world through the eyes of Christopher equal parts eye opening, shocking, and captivating.
8. Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
This list wouldn’t be complete without Wonder. Wonder is the story of August Pullman, a boy born with a facial deformity that kept him from many typical childhood experiences, including public school. When he takes the leap and begins attending the 5th grade in a public school, his greatest hope is to be treated just like any other, ordinary kid.
Wonder is, as the author describes it, “a meditation on kindness.” She draws from several different viewpoints throughout the book, giving the reader many progressing perspectives to consider. She proves kindness can win and that perhaps those who wish most to blend in were born to stand out.
9. The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The first in a series of two, The War That Saved My Life is a story of triumph despite the odds. Ada, at nine years old, had never left her family’s one bedroom apartment. Her mother, ashamed of Ada’s deformed foot, refused to let her outside. It wasn’t until her little brother, Jamie, was sent away to escape WWII that Ada was able to escape, joining her brother on the adventure of a lifetime.
This book opens opportunities to see that even in the midst of war and abuse, moments of sunshine can still sneak their way in to give hope and light to those who dare to seek it out.
10. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
Blind from the age of six, Marie-Laure and her father come up with ingenious ways to help Marie-Laure get around their hometown of Paris, France. At age 12, Marie-Laure and her father flee the Nazis as they begin their occupation of Paris, carrying with them a priceless treasure.
Also woven throughout the book is the story of an orphaned German boy named Werner. Their stories converge as Werner flees Germany, settling in the town on Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure and her father have taken refuge.
Which books from this list have you read? Which books would you add to this list? Be sure to comment below, we love finding new additions to our TBR lists!
Happy reading!
