Nonfiction books about disability to add to your reading list

By Grace Avila

“I want to learn about disability, but I’m not sure where to start.” Maybe this sounds familiar. Maybe this is you asking yourself at this very moment, wanting to understand your disability more or better support someone you know. Maybe it’s a family member or a friend who expresses their desire to learn but they don’t know where to start. Luckily, there are so many books out there about disability and disability education. But why “read a book” in the first place?

According to the American Library Association, there are many benefits to reading. These include becoming more knowledgeable, understanding what is going on in the world, as well as democracy and the ability to self govern ourselves. Reading also builds empathy. Research shows that by reading a book, we have the capacity to be more compassionate and understanding of others’ experiences.

It can be daunting to pick up a book, especially if you haven’t done so in a long time! But the beauty of reading is that there are multiple ways of doing so, and there’s not a “right” way to read. You can pick up a physical book, read on an e-reader such as a Kindle or Kobo, or even listen to an audiobook! Find what works for you.

As an avid reader myself, here are some of my favorite non-fiction books about disability that can help you find your starting place today:

The Anti-Ableist Manifesto by Tiffany Yu

I always recommend this book to anyone just learning about disability. This book covers just about everything: key definitions, the disability rights movement, what disability discrimination (or ableism looks like), and what you can do to be a better ally to disabled folks. Tiffany Yu invites all her readers into the conversation in this informative and practical read.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong

This is a compilation of many different essays by different disability activists all compiled into one book. This book shares many different stories and perspectives that are thought-provoking and real. There is also another version of the book that is adapted for younger readers: Disability Visibility (Adapted for Young Adults): 17 First-Person Stories for Today.

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc

This book is about common disability tropes found in literature. By understanding this connection, this book shows how perspectives throughout history still have consequences in the stereotypes and discrimination against disabled folks that happen today.

This is Body Grief: Making Peace with the Loss That Comes with Living in a Body by Jayne Mattingly

This book is for all my disabled peers who are struggling and feel discouraged. Disabled joy and grief can co-exist, and this book really validates that feeling. This book is very reflective and thought-provoking and also gives the reader a chance to reflect on where they’re at right now in life and living in the body they have. While written by a disability activist, I recommend this book to anyone who has mixed feelings about the body they live in. The book also discusses other reasons a person may have body grief, such as cancer, pregnancy loss, age, etc.

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While these are just a few book recommendations about disability to get started, there are so many more books out there. There are so many opportunities to learn about disability from other people! If nonfiction isn’t really your bread and butter, there are also so many fiction books with disability representation and written by disabled authors! And in my experience, the more you read, the more you learn. What a wonderful opportunity it is to learn about each other in such a way as this. Happy reading!