Disability History Month Great Books - November, 2024

This November, in honour of Disability History month, the Online Library is sharing a few interesting and inspiring e-books from our collection that highlight various issues related to disabilities, ableism and how we can better include people with all disabilities in our global community. The Online Library has also created a short accessibility guide with tips on how to make the most of Online Library resources, such as activating text-to-speech features to help those who are visually impaired. If there is a particular title or tip, you feel might help promote Disability Awareness, please feel free to send us a suggestion.

 

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Nielsen, K.E. & American Council of Learned Societies 2004;2009;2007;, The Radical Lives of Helen Keller, 1st edn, NYU Press, New York. 

Many people know the incredible story of Anne Sullivan’s break through teachings with Helen Keller. What most people don’t know is how Helen Keller went on to become a famous activist. She served as a member of the socialist party, an advocate of women's suffrage, a defender of the radical International Workers of the World, was an outspoken advocate of birth control as well as serving as one of the nation's most effective but unofficial international ambassadors. For the deaf community she also served as a long term co-advocator, with the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, who was also deaf.

 

words made flesh cover image of RAR Edwards

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Words Made Flesh: Nineteenth-Century Deaf Education and the Growth of Deaf Culture by R. A. R. Edwards

Did you know that Sign Language was controversial within the Deaf community. This book documents the fascinating growth of deaf education including chapters on Horace Mann, Gaulladet and the start of the Clarke School. Readers will learn about the issues with oralism, the development of a deaf community and the evolution of deaf pedagogy.

 

A blue folder with a pen next to red and white pills

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Very late diagnosis of Asperger syndrome (autism spectrum disorder): how seeking a diagnosis in adulthood can change your life by Philip Wylie

Full of good advice and true stories, Wylie shares experiences and suggestions for anyone in the process of self-identifying Aspergers syndrome and encourages readers of steps and options along their individual path of diagnosis and awareness.

 

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Conquering ADHD: Daily Practices for Focus, Clarity, and Success in Adult Life: Daily Practices for Focus, Clarity and Success in Adult Life

This book is a great companion guide to anyone navigating the challenges of working and studying with ADHD in daily life.  Tips, anecdotes,  time management and even nutritional and exercise regimes all are provided with documented evidence to help provide readers with support and guidance.

 

 

Deaf Subjects: Between Identities and Places by Brenda Jo Brueggemann

This book provides support, guidance and insight for anyone, who is experiencing deafness and is a beneficial resource to  family members wanting to better understand and best support those experiencing deafness within our culture.  The history of the deaf experience in mainstream society is covered as well as first hand biographies documenting the deaf experience.

 

A book cover of a person and two children walking by a body of water

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone by Douglas Biklen, Richard Attfield, Larry Bissonnette, Lucy Blackman, Jamie Burke, Alberto Frugone, Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay,Sue Rubin

What is most inspiring about this qualitative study is that all of the contributing authors are classified as autistic. It covers a variety of diagnostic histories and cultural backgrounds as each writer opens up to share their personal experience. 

 

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Wheelchair warrior: gangs, disability and basketball by Juette, Melvin Berger, Ronald J.

Read the unbelievable story of how getting shot saved a young man’s life. This book tells the true story of Melvin Juette, who starts life as a teenage gang member and winds up a college graduate with a great job and a loving family, all because of a turn of events following his finding new life as an competitive basketball player, who happened to be on a set of wheels.

 

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Autism spectrum disorder in mid and later life edited by Scott D. Wright

This book provides a compendium of knowledge for anyone dealing with autism spectrum issues later in life. Written by numerous academics, clinical researchers and experts in the field, some of the topics covered include not only family and  community support, but housing and advocacy, and socio-cultural differences. There is even information focused on older adults with ASD as well as chapters addressing relationship and sexuality.

 

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Transforming ADHD by Crosby, Greg, Lippert, Tonya K

Two clinical psychologists share their successful formula for helping adults with ADHD. The book introduces interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) and attention-regulation skills to mainstream audiences to help provide structure and guidance in navigating both high energy and hyperfocus to low interest activities and tricks to stay on course. Despite the clinical background of the authors, this book is an easy read and full of problem solving techniques for every day.

 

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Corrigan, Patrick W., The stigma of disease and disability : understanding causes and overcoming injustices. Washington: American Psychological Association.

This book provides chapters on both intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities including not only the usual physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities that are the focus of currently available books. It also documents the stigmas affiliated with the disabilities attached to Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Leprosis and HIV patients. Corrigan proves himself a social justice arbiter for the disability community in this tome. Many of his suggestions are still revolutionary and will surely continue to be explored in decades to come.

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Gill, Michael, Creating Our Own Lives : College Students with Intellectual Disability

Finally, a book for students about students by students.  This resource shares examples of daily life, questions and challenges that all students with disabilities may ask before entering college. It also shows how students overcome these challenges and the great value their education has added to their long term life choices.

As your Online Library, we strive to develop our collection to encourage inclusion and highlight awareness for all members of our community to support those dealing with disabilities including many ‘invisible disabilities’.  If you have a book, which you feel would add value to our student’s readings and help support disability awareness in our community, please feel free to let us know here.