June 5, 2025 By CDHD 10 books with disability representation for adults On the heels of our summer reading list for kids, we’ve put together 10 books with disability representation for readers with a few more years under their belts! Much like our children’s list, all of these books feature main or secondary characters with a disability. All are also written by authors with a disability. We’ve put together a diverse selection here with everything from poetry to self-help. Read on to find one, two or ten titles to add to your summer reading list … Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin Self-help Written by renowned scientist Temple Grandin, this book draws on cutting-edge research to explore visual thinking. She offers up an accessible explanation of what it means to be a visual thinker, the different types of visual thinkers, and the value that each brings to the collective table. She also discusses how these types of thinkers are increasingly sidelined and proposes new approaches to educating, parenting, employing and collaborating with visual thinkers. Being Heumann by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner Memoir Judith was one of the most influential disability rights activists in US history. In this candid, engaging and irreverent memoir, she details her experiences as a woman with a disability fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for everyone. From being paralyzed from polio at 18 months to rising up as the ‘Mother of the Disability Movement’, Judith tells her own story and lessons learned while inviting readers to strive toward a world in which we all belong. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okrafor Science Fiction New York Times bestseller Nnedi Okrafor has created an exhilarating tale that follows Zelu, a writer with a disability who feels like an outcast in her Nigerian family. Her life takes a tumultuous turn, which leads her to create a far-future epic filled with android and AI wars among the ruins of humanity. Her book becomes a wild success, opening the door for unexpected changes both for Zelu and the world. It’s a book-within-a-book. A masterpiece of metafiction that will grab you and hold you to the thrilling end. Disability Pride by Ben Mattlin Non-Fiction Ben Mattlin is a journalist whose books and essays often explore different disability issues. In Disability Pride, Dispatches from a Post-ADA world, he tackles individuals, ideas and events from the generation that came of age after the American Disabilities Act (ADA). He also looks forward at how the ADA continues to influence the future. Through interviews and reportage, this book highlights how disability has reshaped the way we see the world, including disability culture and influence. It also explores the shortcomings of the ADA, ableism in health care, subminimum wage labor and more. Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew Non-Fiction Described as a “manifesto exploding what we think we know about disability”, Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement is an enlightening look at the disability experience. Through a warm yet feisty voice, Ashley Shew discusses how we can create accessible futures by utilizing insights from the cross-disability community. She argues a case for eliminating ‘technoableism’ – the harmful belief that technology is a ‘solution’ for disability – and how learning to think of disabilities not as liabilities, but as skillsets to enabling effective and relevant changes that will allow all of us to navigate a challenging and changing world. The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace Mystery This intriguing mystery follows Jo Jones, a neurodivergent, hyperlexic editor who has moved to the English countryside. She has taken control of a possibly haunted family estate. Murder is soon afoot, which sends Jo on the hunt, with the help of a cast of memorable characters, to find the killer before they strike again! Thrilling with plenty of twists and turns, this is a must read for any mystery lover. Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw by Eddie Ndopu Memoir Eddie Ndopu is a global humanitarian with spinal muscular atrophy. He was told he wouldn’t live past the age of five. This is the story – in his own words, written with one good finger – of how he has been thriving ever since. It follows Eddie through his childhood as the only wheelchair user at his school all the way up to his time at Oxford University. He tackles exclusion, discrimination, neglect and ableism while showing that his insatiable spirit is determined to see him succeed through all obstacles. So Lucky by Nicola Griffith Fiction This unique tale blurs the lines between fiction and autobiography as it details the life of Mara Tagarelli – a fierce, strong and successful business woman who’s life gets turned upside down when her wife leaves her and she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It follows her as she rebuilds everything around her, finding new community, learning new strengths and confronting the truths of having a disability in the modern world. Mara lifts the veil on America’s treatment of people with disabilities while remaining ferocious, hopeful and open to a life of new possibilities. The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus Poetry This book of poetry was named the best book of the year in 2021 by The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Poetry School, New York Public Library and Entropy Magazine. It is a multi-award-winning collection about communication, connection, cultural inheritance and identity. It examines the d/Deaf experience with meditations on loss, grief, spoken and signed language, and education. Gallant by V E Schwab Fantasy/Horror This young adult crossover is a spellbinding tale that combines fantasy and horror with engaging characters through warm and whimsical prose. It follows Olivia Prior as she moves from the Merilance School for Girls to Gallant – her new home. It’s spooky and full of secrets that Olivia must explore. After crossing a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself halfway between life and death where she must decide whether she will fight to protect the living or take her place among the dark and beckoning dead. Gallant is described as ‘a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors’ – a must read for anyone that enjoys the works of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert and Garth Nixwill.