Disability Pride began as a single day of celebration when the Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990. In 2015, July officially became Disability Pride Month on the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Representing decades of disabled-led activism, including an historic 26-day occupation of the San Francisco federal building in 1977 over a precursor law to the ADA, the passage of this extensive act finally recognized disability as a civil rights category.
The fight is far from over. One facet of the struggle for visibility, access and justice may include sharing stories and information about disability. Here are just a few favorites you can check out at the Iowa City Public Library.
Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott is a picture book biography about a renowned contemporary artist. Scott, who was Deaf and had Down Syndrome, began creating highly unique sculptures made of found objects wrapped in intricate layers of string and fabric at an art program for disabled adults. A Tulip in Winter introduces disabled folk artist Maud Lewis, creator of joyful and whimsical landscape scenes.
Jessica Slice, a disabled author, has recently released picture books This is How we Play: A Celebration of Disability and Adaptation and This is How We Talk: A Celebration of Disability and Connection. For adults, check out Dateable: Swiping Right, Hooking Up, and Settling Down While Chronically Ill and Disabled and Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World. Slice’s books are available in various formats at ICPL, including Read-Along (books with a built-in audio component), e-book and e-audio.
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! offers an authentic portrayal of autism alongside an exciting sports story. The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family depicts a range of neurodiversity — sisters Lara and Caroline are both autistic; Caroline is nonverbal. Follow along as the girls’ FIASSCO detective agency solves a series of comical mysteries involving missing objects and top-secret family recipes. In the sci-fi world of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, main character Sal has Type 1 diabetes — but also the ability to reach into time and space to retrieve things from other universes. These titles are middle-grade chapter books that center a disabled character but not their disability.
According to the CDC, more than one in four U.S. adults live with a disability. This Disability Pride Month, mark the anniversary of a landmark civil rights law in America and continue the fight for fairness.
Anne Wilmoth is a children’s and collection services librarian at Iowa City Public Library. This article was originally published in Little Village’s July 2026 issue.
