Immersing yourself in the world of books is every bibliophile’s favorite pastime. It’s amazing how a handful of pages can make us feel so many things! And what’s more, they can help us learn many new things to become better people.
Disability is a natural part of human diversity. However, we are rarely taught how to support people with disabilities or use assistive aids. Much of this is because we have little or no exposure to disability, either directly or indirectly.
So, here are some book recommendations that can help you become more disability-aware!
- The Invisible Majority: India’s Disability by CK Meena and VR Feroze
“This is a book about disability. Which means it’s a book about all of us,” reads the opening line of the book. When her son was diagnosed with autism in 2010, VR Feroze looked at all the available resources on disability – articles, books, blogs, etc. Although there was no shortage of information, there was little help for parents coming to terms with this problem. Diagnosing your child’s disability.
So, with baton in hand and looking for a co-author with much zeal and enthusiasm, VR Feroze and CK Meena set out to write a non-academic book on disability in India that covers policy frameworks, social perspectives, everything. Health care, education, and employment for independent living.
- Priyaz Mirror by Paromita Vohra and Ram Devineni
This paperback is an illustrated comic that tells the story of Priya, a survivor of an acid attack who forms an alliance with a group of women with similar experiences and helps them fight the demon King Ego. Illustrated by renowned comic creator, Dan Goldman, the book depicts the intersection of gender and disability.
Priya’s Mirror is a sequel to Priya’s Shakti, in which Priya, a survivor of sexual abuse, puts women through the same ordeal. According to Devineni, creator of the comic, “Sexual violence is not a legal problem, it’s a cultural problem.” This book helps to evoke empathy and instructs one to look at social vulnerability rather than as a victim or survivor.
- This type of child: K. Disability Story by Srilata
“When I started working on the book, my daughter was the main character of the story. But as I faced the situation, I realized that my story alone could not stop me. That’s when I started talking to other disabled people and their caregivers,” K Srilata tells SheThePeople.
‘This Kind of Child’ is a collection of seven short books, each offering a different perspective on disability. Through stories, both fiction and non-fiction, interviews and case studies, the book attempts to bring readers into tune with the range of challenges experienced by people with disabilities, their parents, siblings, and caregivers. Through this book, Srilata seeks to convey to her readers that disability is part of the human experience and that we have no choice but to engage with it.
- Disfigured: Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc
What is the connection between fairy tales and disability? Donning a critic’s cape, Amanda Leduc looks at fairy tales and analyzes how they play a role in influencing society’s attitudes towards people with disabilities. Leduc establishes that villains in fairy tales tend to reinforce stereotypes about certain deformities—a disfigured limb or a blind eye—that later make disabled people worse and worse.
This book tells us a story, helps us re-imagine any section of the society in a way that does not represent them in a bad light! Amanda also, in a beautiful way, tells her readers that fairy tales are exactly what they mean—pictures of the mind and in no way represent real people.
- Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau
Don’t we all struggle to find answers to questions surrounding disability? Guess what, the author of this book just came into our minds and solved the mystery for one and all! Written by globally acclaimed disability rights activist Emily LaDau, this book takes a very practical approach to understanding the nitty gritty of the world’s largest minority, thereby moving closer to an inclusive world.
This book covers many important issues such as appropriate etiquette, how to have informed conversations about disability, and how to make accessibility a standard practice. This makes this book a great way for anyone to learn about disability and to appreciate and accept the identity.
- True Biz by Sarah Novick
Set in a residential high school for deaf students, True Biz is a fast-paced novel that follows the lives of the students and gives readers a glimpse inside deaf culture. It touches on many important topics such as growing up deaf in a hearing world, the fight for civil rights by the deaf community, as well as more coming of age topics such as family relationships, romance, and friendship.
Written by sign language user and deaf activist Sarah Novick, this book is a great example of the community coming forward to tell its own stories.
- Swimming Against the Tide by Madhavi Latha Prathigudupu
A memoir by Indian parasports champion Madhavi Lata, the book traces her personal journey to become a para swimming champion at the age of 40. Above all, believing in your own abilities is the surest way to success, this book says. A must read for anyone embarking on a new journey and feeling a little lost.
The book also touches on the important role a solid support system plays in the path to success. Prathigudupu’s parents and friends play an important role in her story and continue to be a source of inspiration and motivation for her.
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The book traces the story of a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose paths cross during World War II. The book is a must read for history lovers as it shows us the reality of World War through unique perspectives that have never been explored before.
The book has also been turned into a Netflix series that was well received, making it a great choice for a 2024 reading list!
As the year unfolds, it’s the perfect time to renew our wish lists and add some paperbacks that will truly be our best friends! Disability is something that affects all of us directly or indirectly. Let these books bridge the gap between the two and help you become more inclusive and empathetic to the unseen realities of people with disabilities!
Written by V-shesh; Edited by Padmashri Pandey.