This Disability Pride Month, we encourage you to learn more about the experiences of people with disabilities. Our Program Manager, Liss has compiled a list of their favourite books that offer first-hand insight into the experiences of people with disabilities.
We encourage you to buy directly from publishers and independent bookstores. We understand that is not always possible and have included links for Amazon as well.
Content Warning: Please note that some of these books touch on topics that may be sensitive to some. For more information, please refer to detailed reviews of each book, such as the ones on Goodreads, before reading.
Autobiographies and Biographies
Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw
This is the first of four books that Shane has written or co-authored (all of which I also recommend!) and is a funny, heart-warming, and relatable account of his life with spinal muscular atrophy.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Banyen Books
Click here to buy from Amazon
Click here to view availability at the Vancouver Public Library
It’s Not What It Looks Like by Molly Burke
An audiobook for those that prefer to listen to stories, this is a funny and motivating account of someone living with varying degrees of blindness and mental health challenges. I also want to recommend her YouTube channel, where she educates others about living with disability, accessible design and inclusion in society, as well as what it’s like to get a fully trained guide dog!
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Amazon
How to Lose Everything – a memoir by Christa Couture
Christa does a wonderful job of sharing her experiences with loss, grief, and the moments and experiences that make life so meaningful. It is great to read if you are struggling with grief and loss yourself to help know you aren’t alone and can find hope in the future.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from the publisher (free shipping over $30)
Click here to buy from Amazon
Click here to view availability at the Vancouver Public Library
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher
A thoughtfully and honestly written account of what it means to live with eating disorders and how people can be empowered and supported to manage them.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Banyen Books
Click here to buy from Amazon
Click here to view availability at the Vancouver Public Library
Living with PTSD on the Autism Spectrum: Insightful Analysis with Practical Applications by Lisa Morgan and Mary P. Donahue
This has been the most helpful book I’ve found that explains the unique nature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the challenges that come from living with the dual diagnosis. Written by a psychologist and person with ASD and PTSD, this book is honest, easy to read, and extremely informative for people like me who live with both conditions and other co-occurring disorders, as well as for people who support others with those conditions like medical practitioners, family members, and friends.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Banyen Books
Click here to buy from Amazon
Woody Belfort: Pourquoi marcher quand on peut voler? by Maryse Pagé
A suggestion for the Francophones out there who are wanting an inspiring book about being born with a physical disability and working towards living life to its fullest and breaking down barriers along the way.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from les libraires
Click here to buy from Amazon
Standing Tall: My Journey by Spencer West
Spencer does a great job of sharing his story through a fine balance between comedy and seriousness as a man who has lived without legs since the age of 5 and thriving through hurdles.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Amazon
Anthologies
Sisterhood: The Path to Found by Rose Finlay and others
This is one of three books that Rose Finlay has contributed to and is another collection of stories about what it means to be a woman and how to come into your power while celebrating and lifting up others.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy directly from Rose Finlay
Click here to buy from Amazon
Disabled Voices Anthology edited by sb. smith
This is a great book to pick up if you’re somebody who likes reading in small segments. The book is made up of various written pieces of art submitted by 26 contributors from Canada, the US, and the UK, and has something for everyone throughout.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from the publisher
Click here to buy from Amazon
Disability Visibility First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong
This book is similar to the Disabled Voices Anthology recommended above, and also includes a variety of written art to showcase what it’s like to live with a disability with a U.S. activism and disability rights history lens applied throughout.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Banyen Books
Click here to buy from Amazon
Click here to view availability at the Vancouver Public Library
More Recommendations
I Am, You Are: Let’s Talk About Disability, Individuality and Empowerment by Ashley Harris Whaley
This book if for children age 4 and up. It’s a beautiful way to explain what it means to have a disability and why that’s something deserving of excitement and curiosity.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy from Banyen Books
Click here to buy from Amazon
Crip up the Kitchen by Jules Sherred
A great cookbook that focuses on energy saving and mobility challenge solutions tips and recipes that can help anybody with or without a disability find cooking and baking more manageable.
Click here to view on Goodreads
Click here to buy directly from Jules Sherred
Click here to buy from Amazon
Click here to view availability at the Vancouver Public Library
Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw image from Macmillan Publishers. It’s Not What It Looks Like by Molly Burke image from Audible. How to Lose Everything – a memoir by Christa Couture image from Douglas & McIntyre. Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher image from HarperCollinsPublishers. Living with PTSD on the Autism Spectrum: Insightful Analysis with Practical Applications by Lisa Morgan and Mary P. Donahue image from Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Woody Belfort: Pourquoi marcher quand on peut voler? by Maryse Pagé image from Les Éditions de l’Homme. Standing Tall: My Journey by Spencer West image from Spencer West. Sisterhood: The Path to Found by Rose Finlay and others image from the Goddess Guild. Disabled Voices Anthology edited by sb. smith image from Rebel Mountain Press. Disability Visibility First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong image from Penguin Random House. I Am, You Are: Let’s Talk About Disability, Individuality and Empowerment by Ashley Harris Whaley image from Penguin Random House Canada. Crip up the Kitchen by Jules Sherred image from Jules Sherred.