In Their Own Words: Memoirs About Living With Disabilities and Chronic IllnessesLike this list

26 items

• Rolling Warrior

  the Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution

  Heumann, Judith E.,

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  Heumann was paralyzed as a baby and went on to become on of the most influential activists in the disability right's movement. Her memoir chronicles her journey from childhood through today.

• Disability Visibility

  17 First-person Stories for Today : Adapted for Young Adults

  Wong, Alice (EDT)

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  A collection of essays by individuals living with various disabilities.

• Laughing at My Nightmare

  Burcaw, Shane,

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  In Burcaw's first memoir, he describes what it is like to grow up with spinal muscular atrophy and how it affects a variety of aspects of his life.

• Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse

  Burcaw, Shane,

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  Many essays in this collection deal specifically with the challenges of living with spinal muscular atrophy, but Burcaw's second book is also relatable for anybody making the transition from childhood to adulthood.

• The Pretty One

  on Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love With Me

  Brown, Keah,

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  In this collection of essays, Keah Brown discusses what it means to grow up as a member of multiple marginalized communities: she's Black, she's a woman, and she has cerebral palsy.

• The Reason I Jump

  the Inner Voice of a Thirteen-year-old Boy With Autism

  Higashida, Naoki, 1992-

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  Higashida, who is non-verbal, used an alphabet grid to answer questions for this short book about what it is like to be a teenager on the autism spectrum.

• Born Just Right

  Reeves, Jordan,

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  Reeves, who was born without the lower half of one arm, shares her experiences growing up one-handed and the ways in which she's adapted so that she doesn't miss out on anything she wants to try.

• This Kid Can Fly

  It's About Ability (not Disability)

  Philip, Aaron,

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  Philip, a teenager with cerebral palsy, covers a variety of topics in his memoir - from growing up with a chronic illness to sharing thoughts on his favorite anime!

• Soul Surfer

  a True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

  Hamilton, Bethany

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  Being attacked by a shark would lead many people to become afraid of the ocean. But after Hamilton was attacked by a shark, she was more determined than ever to become a world class surfer. (Hamilton's Christian faith plays a significant role in her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dirty River

  A Queer Femme of Color Dreaming Her Way Home

  Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi

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  Dirty River follows the author, a queer, disabled woman of color, as she runs away from her home in America, resettles in Canada, and finds a community that accepts her.

• El Deafo

  Bell, Cece,

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  This graphic novel recounts Bell's experiences growing up hearing impaired and transferring to a school where she was the only deaf kid in her class.

• Look Me in the Eye

  My Life With Asperger's

  Robison, John Elder

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  When Robinson was 40, he was finally diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and given an explanation for why he had trouble fitting into society's expectations. In his memoir, he talks about growing up undiagnosed and misunderstood.

• My Shot

  Balancing It All and Standing Tall

  Donne, Elena Delle,

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  Delle Donne is one of the best basketball players in the world - she was the first woman and ninth person to join the 50-40-90 club (50% field goal shooting, 40% 3-point shooting and 90% free throws shooting over a single season). In her memoir,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Should Hang Out Sometime

  Embarrassingly, a True Story

  Sundquist, Josh

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  Sundquist, who is an amputee and a cancer survivor, spent most of his life having bad luck in love. In this memoir, he revisits his past relationships to try and figure out why he's still single.

• Stitches

  a Memoir

  Small, David, 1945-

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  This graphic novel recounts the author's harrowing childhood. As a kid, Small's father used radiation to try and cure his son's respiratory problems, which likely caused the cancer Small would develop as a teen. During surgery meant to remove the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Funny, You Don't Look Autistic

  a Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum

  McCreary, Michael, 1996-

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  McCreary was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum disorder when he was 4 and he got his first standup gig when he was 14. In his memoir, he talks about growing up neurodivergent... and growing up a comedian.

• This Star Won't Go Out

  the Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

  Earl, Esther, 1994-2010,

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  A collection of stories, journal entries, and drawings created by Earl before she passed away due to cancer.

• All the Weight of Our Dreams

  on Living Racialized Autism

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  This anthology features poems, essays, stories, and art created by BIPOC on the autism spectrum.

• Nujeen

  One Girl's Incredible Journey From War-torn Syria in a Wheelchair

  Mustafa, Nujeen,

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  Growing up, Mustafa was unable to attend school because of her cerebral palsy - she learned English from watching American soap operas. Then, at just 16 years old, Mustafa and her family were forced to flee their home country of Syria. In her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Face for Picasso

  Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome

  Henley, Ariel

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  Henley shares what it was like to grow up with Crouzon Syndrome, both in terms of the surgeries she endured and the bullying she dealt with.