People with Disabilities

As Harry Potter's stunt double, David Holmes's amazing gymnastic skills saw him earn onscreen immortality. He was the first-ever person to play Quidditch on a broomstick; he dodged dragon's fire and dove deep into the Great Lake, without any gillyweed to protect him.

When Abraham Verghese, a physician whose marriage is unraveling, relocates to El Paso, Texas, he hopes to make a fresh start as a staff member at the county hospital....

When Roger Rasmussen was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019, he did what most patients do: listened carefully, weighed his options, and tried to make peace with the life-altering decisions ahead.

Paige Layle was normal. She lived in the countryside with her mom, dad, and brother Graham. She went to school, hung out with friends, and all the while everything seemed so much harder than it needed to be. A break in routine threw off the whole day....

A moving account of resilience, hope, fear, and mortality and how these things resonate in our lives, by actor and advocate Michael J. Fox....

This intimate memoir reveals the woman inside one of autism’s most prominent figures, Jennifer O'Toole. At the age of 35, Jennifer was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and for the first time in her life, things made sense....

This inspiring autobiography by Helen Keller is an account of her life from her family history up to her last years of college, supplemented by her personal letters from age 7 to 21....

Founder of advocacy organization Diversability and creator of the viral Anti-Ableism Series on TikTok, Tiffany Yu takes listeners on a revelatory examination of disability—how to unpack your biases and build a disability-inclusive and accessible world.

Follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. In this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope during one of America’s darkest days....

In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism....

This program is read by the author, comedian and severe dyslexic Phil Hanley, who reveals his unlikely path to success in a story that is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.

One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent - but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture....

A memoir-in-essays from disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty Rebekah Taussig, processing a lifetime of memories to paint a beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most....

A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn't built for all of us and of one woman's activism - from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington - Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann's lifelong battle to achieve respect....

So begins Chloé Cooper Jones’s bold, revealing account of moving through the world in a body that looks different than most. Jones learned early on to factor “pain calculations” into every plan, every situation.

Witty, winning, and revelatory, The Country of the Blind is a personal narrative of the author’s transition from sightedness to blindness and his quest to learn about blindness as a rich culture all its own.

In a memoir that is as wildly funny as it is emotionally shattering, Selma Blair tells the captivating story of growing up and finding her truth....

A successful and optimistic Autistic Multimillionaire chronicles his journey with Autism and reflects on how the disorder has helped and hindered him as he went from high school dropout to successful husband, father, executive, and entrepreneur.

In 2011, three years after leaving the NFL, Steve Gleason was diagnosed with ALS, a terminal disease that paralyzes the entire body. Doctors gave him three years to live. He was thirty-four years old. As Steve says, he is now ten years past his expiration date....

Diagnosed with pathological demand avoidance (PDA) in his teenage years, Harry Thompson looks back with wit and humour at the ups and downs of family and romantic relationships, school, work and mental health, as well as his teenage struggle with drugs and alcohol....

One woman’s decades-long journey to a diagnosis of autism, and the barriers that keep too many neurodivergent people from knowing their true selves....

The Christian classic detailing the remarkable events surrounding the 1967 diving accident that left Joni Eareckson Tada paralyzed. This special 45th anniversary edition of Joni commemorates the worldwide impact of her life story to people living with disabilities....

A memoir by one of America’s most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers—who spent years denying and working around his blindness, before finally embracing it as an essential part of his identity....

"After reading this book and following Howard's recipe for some time now, I can only say this book is worth each and every word. It is highly ...

Ido in Autismland opens a window into non-verbal autism through dozens of short, autobiographical essays each offering new insights into autism symptoms, effective and ineffective treatments, and the inner emotional life of a severely autistic boy....

When Roger Rasmussen was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019, he did what most patients do: listened carefully, weighed his options, and tried to make peace with the life-altering decisions ahead. Then he heard about Joe Tippens' story, which led him down a rabbit hole of research into something unexpected—a compound called fenbendazole with curious case reports and a growing collection of personal accounts.

What do you do when multiple sclerosis knocks you on your ass, tells you your rap career is over, and dares you to stay down? You write a new story — and this one’s real as hell. Myelin My Shoes is the raw, unfiltered, punch-in-the-gut memoir from underground hip-hop artist Robert “B-Cide” Cardillo II, who turned pain into power and built something real in a world full of fake. From rocking shows with legends to dodging shady promoters, from touring the country to being forced into a wheelchair by multiple sclerosis — this is the story of a man who refused to tap out. No ghostwriters.

Athena Stevens has never learned the name of the doctor whose lack of intervention at her birth lead to her cerebral palsy, but she feels the consequences of his actions – and inaction – every day. The factor observed first and foremost in her life will forever be the effects of what other people have done to her, rather than her accomplishments. And yet, she was groomed to believe that she would overcome any force that stood in her way.

We all face obstacles that threaten to hold us back. For Robert Paylor, his paralysis wasn’t a metaphor. In the biggest game of his life, competing for the collegiate rugby national championship, Robert suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors told him he’d never walk or move his hands again. But Robert refused to accept that fate.

For fans of rags-to-riches stories, Be There When I Return is not just about overcoming epilepsy and finding success—it is also for those who are looking for a celebration of love in its purest form. When thirty-one-year-old Michael starts to act out of character, it gets the attention of his roommate and a woman he has started dating. After denying anything is wrong with him, Michael finally decides to visit a neurologist. His life takes an unexpected turn when he receives a life-altering diagnosis of epilepsy.

'From the moment I received the call about Cathy-a young girl in excruciating pain with nowhere else to turn-my life was forever changed. When I arrived at the hospital to pick her up, the scene was heartbreaking. Cathy was in agony, unable to bend her legs or back due to the enormous tumour that had consumed her entire back. The nurses who had cared for her were in tears, overwhelmed by the suffering she endured. We tried to fit her into a small car, but it was impossible. Eventually, we arranged for an ambulance, not realizing that this moment would mark the beginning of an incredible ...

Growing up with Autism is hard enough. Growing up with Autism when you're a little gay weirdo is almost impossible. Greatest Hits of my Childhood Trauma is the story of a boy fighting to exist in a world that would rather throw him away. From overly religious mothers to prison sentences, drug overdoses, psychiatric facilities, bizarre sexual encounters, and queer high school romance, this tale of 90s middle America is heartbreaking, hilarious, and hard to put down. Alex Dark takes us through the darkest parts of his life with a charm that will keep you coming back for more.

This is the very personal and frank account of A.W.J. Pilgrim’s battle with schizophrenia, in the context of his whole life story. He is a Londoner, dad and talented prolific artist painter and author. Learn how his illness progressed, how he struggled, his personal thoughts about it, detailed accounts of being sectioned, effects of medications, psychosis, hallucinations & delusions. The story not all sad, he has had some good luck too, and still has dreams. Learn how he has put his schizophrenia into remission.

You’re not lazy. You’re not weak. And you’re not alone. If you’re lying on the floor wondering if your back will ever let you stand tall again—this book is for you. The McKenzie Method Bent Over and Broken isn’t another textbook full of anatomy terms or a “just stretch more” guide. It’s a raw, real story about finally finding relief—after years of trial, error, painkillers, and dead ends. Through the voice of Tom, a lifelong skeptic who tried everything from ER visits to lying on the floor for 12 hours straight, you’ll discover the McKenzie Method: a simple, no-fluff ...

In the rolling fields of the Deep South, where the bonds between humans and animals run deeper than the soil, Horses Who Made Me–Me! takes you on an emotional journey of love, loss, and self-discovery. Dee Jordan built her life around horses—magnificent creatures that offered her joy, purpose, and a connection to something greater than herself. From the spirited Lipizzans she raised to the beloved Freyja, who taught her about strength and resilience, Dee’s equine companions shaped her world as she navigated the triumphs and tragedies of marriage, motherhood, and mental health. But ...

After a normal, healthy, full-term pregnancy, Margaret Moore's parents Anne and Terrence were shocked as a prolapsed umbilical cord left their daughter unable to breathe on her own. Margaret, nicknamed Meg, was not expected to live through the night and began to breathe on her own by the next day—a phenomenon that medical personnel deemed a miraculous recovery. Meg came home with a physical disability Cerebral Palsy and permanent dependence on others for help with feeding, dressing, hygiene, and transfers to and from her wheelchair and walker.

What it really feels like to live with type 1 diabetes—true stories inside. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, frustrated, or alone with type 1 diabetes, this book is for you. Written by Neil Greathouse (@thebetes), Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories is a powerful collection of honest, hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking moments from over 30 years of living with T1D.

Step into the world of best-selling children's book author Gavin Clifton as his inspirational story takes you on a journey of early battles, trials, achievements, and profound lessons learned along the way. Through his own eyes, Gavin uses his own words and unfiltered narrative to tell you of the many different experiences he's faced while navigating through life with cerebral palsy and a speech impediment.

We are all born with a series of gifts and curses. It is my experience, that some of those form your self-identity, and dictate much of your life. Attention Deficit Disorder was mine. Growing up I felt hindered by the inability to focus; therefore self-identified as a failure. Yet here I am, 40 years old, professionally and financially successful, artistically trained and skilled, and most importantly happy. In this book, I reflect on why I failed so much at certain elements of my life. I forgive my former self for how I erred as a son, brother, partner and friend.

This narrative nonfiction novel chronicles my son’s twenty-year journey to get his Cushing’s disease diagnosed—a journey that took far too long. Throughout the book, I highlight opportunities for testing that could have been done according to endocrinologist guidelines. The core message is clear: early diagnosis is crucial for people to live vibrant lives.