Books

Top 5 books on disability, recommended by Dan Goodley

Dan Goodley, author of Disability and Other Human Questions, recommends five books to build your understanding

Dan Goodley, author of Disability and Other Human Questions, offers a reading list that is at times humorous, at times righteously angry, but will always inspire the reader’s empathy.

The Two-in-One: Walking with Smokie, Walking with Blindness by Rod Michalko

A stunning account of a man and his guide dog negotiating blindness and society. This pulls no punches about the challenges of circumnavigating a ‘sighted world’ but is also often hilarious.

Justice for Laughing Boy: Connor Sparrowhawk – A Death by Indifference by Sara Ryan

Following the entirely preventable death of her son Connor – known as Laughing Boy –  Ryan beautifully documents her response to the failings of care by galvanising a global community of allies to seek justice and accountability.

Skallagrigg by William Horwood

A heartbreaking account of the abuse of disabled people in the name of institutional care. Sadly, this narrative still resonates with how badly disabled people are treated by health and social care today. Perfect for teen readers and older.

Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People by Frances Ryan

One of the most high-profile and outspoken journalists of mainstream media who, as a disabled person, doesn’t mess around in getting to the root of the problem: the systemic oppression of disabled people in Britain.

Pride Against Prejudice: Transforming Attitudes to Disability by Jenny Morris

This groundbreaking book, written by a high profile disabled activist, is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about why disability is a political question.

Disability and Other Human Questions by Dan Goodley is out now (Emerald Books, £16.99)

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