Books without Barriers: Final Post
I have a problem, and the first step is admitting it. I want to buy ALL THE BOOKS. My to-be-read (TBR) list is slightly large, and I don’t believe there has ever been a time in the history of me that I’ve walked out of a bookstore or library empty-handed. To make matters worse (or better, depending on how you look at it), one of my dear friends owns the most charming and inclusive bookstore where I live, further complicating my problem. But what a beautiful problem to have!
As this series comes to a close, I wanted to end not with a final word, but with an opening toward the many books still waiting for me (and maybe you). The following titles have been living on my TBR list, recommended by friends, authors, and the vibrant disabled literary community. I haven’t read them yet, but they feel like the natural next steps in continuing to learn, unlearn, and imagine otherwise.
Accessible Design (Including physical spaces & learning environments)
- Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design by Bess Williamson
- Inclusive Design for a Digital World: Designing with Accessibility in Mind by Regine M. Gilbert
- Designing Accessible Learning Content: A Practical Guide to Applying Best-Practice Accessibility Standards to L&D Resources by Susi Miller
Disability Identity & Disability Studies
- Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau
- The Anti-ableist Manifesto by Tiffany Yu
- Such a Pretty Girl: A Story of Struggle, Empowerment, and Disability Pride by Nadina LaSpina
- Key Words for Disability Studies by Rachel Adams, Benjamin Reiss, David Serlin
- Crip Times: Disability, Globalization, and Resistance by Robert McRuer
- The Secret Life of Stories: From Don Quixote to Harry Potter, How Understanding Intellectual Disability Transforms the Way We Read by Michael Bérubé
- Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- Disability Pride: Dispatches from a Post-ADA World by Ben Mattlin
Disability History
- Enabling Acts: The Hidden Story of How the Americans with Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights by Lennard J. Davis
If there’s one thing this list has reminded me, it’s that there will always be more to read, more to learn, and more perspectives to make room for. So while my TBR list will inevitably continue to grow, I’m choosing to see it as an invitation to keep listening, keep learning, and keep showing up differently because of it.
