Sonya Huber | Book
In this collection, Huber gifts her reader with clever, often hilarious and always insightful essays on the invisible disability of chronic pain.
Lennard J. Davis | Article
In the opening essay of his anthology, The Disability Studies Reader, Davis argues that the concept of "normal" as we know it today is relatively recent and knotted up with the history of statistics, eugenics, and the bell curve. Davis offers this mic-drop of a quote: "The 'problem' is not the person with disabilities. The problem is the way that normalcy is constructed to create the 'problem' of the disabled person."
Thomas Armstrong | Article
Armstrong points out that much of special education has been “deficit-based,” which problematizes diverse bodies. He differentiates this approach from “strengths-based” special education, which is grounded in an awareness and appreciation of neurodiversity. Armstrong provides a fantastic, quick-to-read chart to help readers determine the difference between the two approaches. When I first saw this chart, I marveled at how concisely Armstrong had captured what my daughter and I had encountered in different therapists for years.
Dana Nieder | Book
If you have a nonverbal child or a child with limited verbal abilities, I highly recommend this letter, which I followed when my daughter was two years old and not yet speaking. It’s brilliant, useful, and hopeful advice.
Andrew Solomon | Book
In this comprehensive, highly researched work of nonfiction, Solomon examines what he calls "horizontal identities"—identities of a person that differ from those of one’s family of origin. His writing is a beacon for anyone asking questions about identity, family, and acceptance.
Invisibilia podcast | Lulu Miller, Alix Spiegel, and Hanna Rosin | Listen
This is a fascinating, entertaining, and thoughtful hour about the power of acceptance. By looking closely at the Belgian town of Geel and its tradition of boarding people with mental illness, the Invisibilia podcast creators illustrate how our American obsession with "fixing a problem" is perhaps the problem itself.