Discover the best Disability Pride Books curated by Cindy Otis from The Stacks Bookstore, who offers readers a virtual tour of her disability-inclusive space.
Happy (Belated) Disability Pride Month! While we’re celebrating a little late this year, it’s never too late to embrace and honor the strength, resilience, and beauty of the disability community.
Like many, my journey comes with its unique challenges, which is why our celebration is arriving fashionably late. But that’s the beauty of disability pride: it’s about acknowledging our pace, our needs, and our triumphs in the face of obstacles.
As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, I am excited to present a specially curated list of books highlighting the diverse and multifaceted lives of disabled individuals created by today’s Book Gang podcast guest, Cindy Otis.
What is Disability Pride Month?
Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July. It commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, which was a significant milestone in the fight for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.
What Does the Disability Pride Flag Represent?
If you are seeing the updated Disability Pride Flag for the first time, you aren’t alone!
The flag features several colors, each representing different aspects of disability and the disability community. Here’s an explanation of the symbolic colors that represent our community.
There are five diagonal bands of different colors across the flag, each representing different types of disabilities and experiences:
- Red: Physical disabilities
- Gold: Neurodivergence
- White: Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
- Blue: Mental illness
- Green: Sensory perception disabilities
Finally, the black background represents the mourning and rage of disabled people for the lives lost due to ableism, violence, negligence, and eugenics.
The design of the diagonal bands cutting across the black field symbolizes breaking through barriers and the creativity and persistence of the disability community in overcoming these obstacles.
Peek Inside This Disability-Inclusive Bookshop With Today’s Curator
Cindy Otis’s journey to opening The Stacks offers a vital and well-thought conversation about her own limitations in accessing bookshops and what was top of mind for her customers when designing an accessible and welcoming space for all, especially those with disabilities in Savannah, Georgia.
From ramps to fonts to her bookshop’s tagline, Cindy’s thoughtful design choices ensure every reader can enjoy the magic of books. Her journey will mesmerize you.
SCROLL DOWN for her top book recommendations to celebrate Disability Pride Month all year long!
Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:
Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform! You can download the transcript below.
Cindy Otis is a writer and the author of the novel At the Speed of Lies, which is now out with Scholastic, and the critically acclaimed nonfiction book True or False, published by Macmillan.
Her other written work has appeared in publications such as USA Today, the New York Times, CNN, and Teen Vogue. She previously served as an intelligence analyst and manager at the CIA. She is not just a bookseller but a champion for inclusivity and accessibility in the literary world.
All purchases from today’s list will support her Disablity-Inclusive bookstore.
TELL ME: What were YOU surprised to learn in today’s episode?