July 26, 2023, marks the 33rd anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, the ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against disabled persons and helps ensure that disabled people have the same rights and opportunities as the general public (ADA National Network, 2023). The ADA guarantees equal opportunity for disabled individuals in “public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications” (ADA National Network, 2023).
To celebrate National Disability Independence Day this year, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Reading Club has selected three books that focus on disability health for July 2023.
- Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann: This is the memoir of one of the most influential disability rights activists in US history and tells of Judith Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society. This book is available through Himmelfarb’s Consortium Loan Service (CLS).
- Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong: This book is a groundbreaking collection of first-person writing on the joys and challenges of the modern disability experience. This title is available as an e-book through Himmelfarb. You can also request a print copy through CLS. Listen to the Disability Visibility podcast for conversations on disability!
- Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig: Written by disability advocate Rebekah Taussig, this essay collection is based on a lifetime of experiences in a paralyzed body and discusses the themes of identity, accessibility, bodies, and representation. You can request this title through CLS.
References:
ADA National Network. (July 2023). What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? https://adata.org/learn-about-ada
