Written by Staff Blogger, Brenna T
“Disability is not a brave struggle or 'courage in the face of adversity.' Disability is an art. It’s an ingenious way to live.” - Neil Marcus
Disability Pride Month is a time to celebrate people with disabilities, and our lives, experiences, histories, and cultures. Everyone, both disabled and temporarily abled, is welcome!
Around 37.9% of Nova Scotians have a disability (across Canada, around 27% of Canadians do). Disabled people are scientists (like Leonardo Da Vinci, who probably had dyslexia), artists (like Maude Lewis), athletes (like two-time Paralympic Gold skier Mark Arendz), inventors (like Margarete Stieff, who invented the teddy bear) and writers (like many of the authors on this list!). We are your friends, family, neighbours and coworkers. Despite living with social stigma and oppression, we know that disability is a natural part of the human experience. In every era, in every place, there have been disabled people, and there always will be. That is good, because every part of the human experience is important!
About Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month started in the United States in the 1990s, after the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, it is celebrated all around the world, including in Canada, where the Ontario Legislature officially recognized it in 2023. This year is the first time Halifax Public Libraries has recognized it.
Like disabled people, this is a diverse collection of books. There are options for all ages, and both fiction and non-fiction, including graphic novels. All of these books star disabled people, all of them messy and imperfect, just like everyone else.
We hope that you enjoy these books. Happy Disability Pride Month!
Please note that while some in the disability community prefer person first language (saying person with a disability), many prefer identity first language (saying disabled person). This blog uses a mix of both to honour all viewpoints.
The Disability Pride Flag
In 2019, Ann Magill designed a Disability Pride Flag. The current design comes from 2021. The six colours on the flag represent the fact that disabled people live in every nation on earth. The black background represents mourning for victims of ableist abuse and violence.
The diagonal band represents how disabled people cut across the barriers that prevent us from living our lives fully. Individually, the stripe’s colours stand for:
Red: Physical disabilities
Gold: Neurodivergence
White: Undiagnosed and invisible disabilities
Blue: Psychiatric disabilities
Green: Sensory (like blindness)
Sourced by Staff Blogger, Brenna. Please note: While these titles are all listed as physical copies, many also exist in other formats. Click the book title to explore other formats.
More from Brenna
Citations
Disability pride month - canadian association for supported employment. CASE MVP. (2023, August 11). https://www.supportedemployment.ca/disability-pride-month/
Disability pride month act, 2023. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. (n.d.). https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-43/session-1/bill-128
Government of Canada, S. C. (2024, September 4). Canada at a glance, 2023 accessibility and persons with disabilities. Accessibility and Persons with disabilities - Canada at a Glance, 2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/12-581-x/2023001/sec5-eng.htm
Mangione, S., & Del Maestro, R. (2019). Was Leonardo da Vinci dyslexic? The American Journal of Medicine, 132(7), 892–893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.02.019
Wong, A. (2020). Disability visibility: Twenty-First Century Disabled Voices. Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
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