The World Health Organization states that "disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome and depression as well as personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support."
In Nobody's Normal, anthropologist Roy Richard Grinker explores the history of mental illness stigma, tracing its roots from the 18th century to today. He argues that stigma is a cultural process we learn from our communities but have the power to change. Through personal stories and global research, Grinker offers hope that society is moving toward greater acceptance of mental illness as part of human diversity.
Contemporary human rights discourses problematically co-opt disabled bodies as 'evidence' of harms done under capitalism, war, and other forms of conflict, while humanitarian non-governmental organizations often use disabled bodies to generate resources for their humanitarian projects. It contends that disability studies challenge these exclusionary paradigms, which prioritize humanitarianism over disability rights.
Inaugurates a new field of disability studies by framing disability as a minority discourse rather than a medical one, revising oppressive narratives and revealing liberatory ones. The book examines disabled figures in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Rebecca Harding Davis's Life in the Iron Mills, in African-American novels by Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde, and in the popular cultural ritual of the freak show.
Disfigured by Amanda Leduc challenges the ableism in fairy tales and explores how these stories shape perceptions of disability. By examining classic tales from the Brothers Grimm to Disney, Leduc shows how fairy tales have marginalized disabled characters and offers a new way to view disability as a central part of a protagonist's journey. The book calls for a reimagining of stories that celebrate difference and advocate for disability justice in both fiction and reality.
Look Me in the Eye is John Robison's darkly funny and heartfelt memoir about growing up with undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome. Misunderstood for his eccentric behaviors, Robison struggled to connect with others until his diagnosis at forty transformed his perspective. The book chronicles his unique journey from designing guitars for KISS to building a family, offering a moving and deeply human account of life on the autism spectrum.
In 1959, Terry Galloway began losing her hearing due to a drug her mother took during pregnancy. Defiant and rebellious, she faked her drowning at a camp for disabled kids, marking the start of using theater to transcend her reality. In this candid and humorous memoir, Galloway reflects on her mental breakdowns, queer identity, and navigating life in a silent, quirky world filled with unforgettable characters.
By the time he was three, Walker's parents were concerned enough about his delayed development to consult a paediatric neurologist. Doctors diagnosed autism and issued a grim prognosis: 'I hold out no hope for this child'. But they hadn't accounted for Walker's intelligence, affection, and sense of humour - or for the remarkable bonds that grew within his family. Walker's father, Robert Hughes, tells a touching and inspiring story of discovering that their 'perfect little boy had a problem'. With disarming honesty and humour, the book tells how a family copes and keeps hope alive despite the staggering difficulties autism presents.
The animal scientist describes how she and other victims of autism perceive the world, and relates the ways in which she has been able to adapt and have a successful career.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the intersecting lives of a blind French girl and a German boy during World War II. Marie-Laure, who memorizes her Paris neighborhood by touch after going blind, flees Nazi-occupied Paris with her father, carrying a dangerous jewel to her great-uncle’s house in Saint-Malo. Meanwhile, Werner, an orphaned German boy with a talent for radios, is enlisted to track the resistance. As their paths converge in war-torn France, Doerr explores the ways people strive for goodness amidst devastation.
Jonathan Evison has crafted a novel of the heart, a novel of unlikely heroes traveling through a grand American landscape, and most of all, a story that offers a profound look into what it takes to truly care for another person. Bursting with energy and filled with moments of absolute beauty, this bighearted and inspired novel ponders life s terrible surprises as well as its immeasurable rewards.
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon follows Lou Arrendale, a high-functioning autistic man in the near future, who is offered an experimental cure for his condition. Lou must grapple with the profound question: if he is freed from autism, will he still be himself? As he contemplates this life-altering decision, Lou reflects on love, identity, and the essence of who he is. This poignant and thought-provoking novel explores the meaning of normalcy and individuality in a world where most diseases have been eradicated.