Being Heumann – Judith Heumann
Judith Heumann is one of the most influential disability rights activists in US history, and through this autobiography she shares her story. Heumann was paralyzed from Polio at 18 months old and what followed was her struggle for equality. From fighting to attend grade school after being labelled a ‘fire hazard’ to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher's license because of her paralysis, Judy's actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people.
In 1977, Heumann led the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a government building in US history which successfully pushed for the issuance of long-delayed regulations regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Heumann’s Sit-In and continued work successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples' rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The War on Disable People – Ellen Clifford
In 2016, a United Nations report found the UK government culpable for “grave and systematic violations” of disabled people’s rights. Since then, cuts to public spending and the scapegoating of the most disadvantaged in society have only deteriorated the situation for disable people in Britain. The UN has described the situation as a ‘human catastrophe.’
In The War on Disable People, Ellen Clifford, a disabled activist, recounts how and why this state of affairs has come about. Clifford explores political influences, self-interested disability charities and media demonization of benefit claimants, demonstrating the role these factors play in marginalizing disabled people.
A Gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue – Mackenzie Lee
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turn the trip into a harrowing manhunt across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows.
This book works as a love story, but it is also a rollicking adventure that includes a great mystery. It tackles issues like gender, race, sexuality, disability and physical abuse in the 1700s without ever losing steam or feeling preachy; and it raises thorny questions that have no easy answers.
Act your age, Eve Brown – Talia Hibbert
Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding, her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she's not entirely sure how…
Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.
Both Eve and Jacob are autistic and Talia Hibbert puts a lot of care into this aspect of the novel. Throughout the story we learn more about their experiences, both shared and unique in varying circumstances. She explores how these experiences are shaped by other aspects of their identity and the interplay between the two characters.
Frida Kahlo, 1907-1954
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artefacts of Mexico. She was greatly inspired by Mexico’s popular culture and her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and she liked to mix realism with fantasy. She belonged to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement which sought to revive the indigenous religion, philosophy and ancient traditions among Mexican people. Kahlo was born with Spina Bifida, she also contracted Polio at age 6 which at the time had no treatment consequently leaving her with physical disabilities, damaging her right leg and foot. At age 18 she was in a bus accident left her with detrimental injuries to her spine and pelvis. Kahlo suffered with chronic pain and medical trauma and is known for painting about these experiences.
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Stephen Wiltshire, 1974-present
Stephen Wiltshire is a British architectural artist and prodigious cityscape artist. He is also an Autistic savant. Wiltshire was non-verbal when young, only learning to speak at age 9 and was diagnosed with Autism at age three. At just age five he began drawing lifelike, accurate impressions of cities, skylines and street scenes after having only observed them briefly. He landed his first commission at age eight, a sketch of Salisbury Cathedral for the former Prime Minister Edward Heath. Wiltshire can look at a subject once and then draw an accurate and detailed picture of it. He frequently draws entire cities from memory, based on a single, brief helicopter rides.
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Fatemah Hamami, 1989-present
Fatemah Hamami is a painter from Iran. Hamami suffers from a rare genetic disorder which affects her limbs. Due to her physical disability she paints with her feet. She has painted many celebrities in addition to those of her football icons using only her feet. She loves to paint portraits of famous football players and is a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. She rose to fame after her lifelike portrait of Ronaldo captivated fans and Ronaldo himself. She is known for her ability to capture realistic portraits and continues with her love of painting footballers. In September 2023, Ronaldo paid Hamami a visit after she gifted him two of her paintings.
Henri Matisse, 1869-1954
Henri Matisse was a French visual artist. He was a draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. He was known primarily as a painter through his use of bold colours, he developed a style that emphasised flattened forms and decorative pattern. His mastery of expressive language of colour and drawing won him recognition as a leading figure in modern art. In 1941 he was diagnosed with abdominal cancer and underwent surgery which meant he had to use a wheelchair. Painting and sculpting became physical challenges for him so he turned to a new medium. He created cut paper collages, known as decoupage with the help of his assistants. Matisse referred to the last 14 years of his life as ‘une seconde vie,’ meaning his second life.
Kiera Allen - Run (2020)
Run is a psychological horror thriller film. The film stars Kiera Allen as a disabled teenager, Chloe Sherman, who begins to suspect that her mother has been keeping a dark secret about her upbringing. Kiera is born prematurely and as a result lives with arrhythmia, hemochromatosis, asthma, diabetes, as well as partial paralysis of her legs. She is home-schooled by her mother and has no access to internet or telephones.
Kiera Allen rose to fame through the film Run. She is one of few disabled actresses to play a disabled character. Allen is diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and uses a wheelchair.
Millicent Simmonds - A Quiet Place (2018)
In this post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film, a family struggle to survive in a world inhabited by blind extra-terrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing. The film is incredible in it’s use of senses and encouraging listeners to immerse themselves in the quietness. When production started the actors were taught American Sign Language in order to use it in the film.
Millicent Simmonds who plays daughter Regan, is a deaf actress and uses ASL in her day to day life. It is truly inspiring to see the film industry become more inclusive and depict a very real experience/way of life through a popular medium/genre.
Jamie Brewer – American Horror Story season 1,3,4,7,8
Jamie Brewer is an American actress and model and has Down Syndrome. She was the first model with Down Syndrome to walk at the New York Fashion week as well as the first actress with Down Syndrome to play the lead in Broadway theatre, namely in Amy and the Orphans. However, Brewer is best known for her roles in the horror anthology television series, American Horror Story; she starred in seasons 1,3,4,7 and 8. Each season of AHS is like an individual miniseries, however there are crossovers between the worlds and stories.
Daryl Mitchell – Fear the Walking Dead (2010)
Fear the Walking Dead is a post-apocalyptic horror drama. The series features a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies chiefly known as ‘walkers.’ Daryl Mitchell stars as Wendell Rabinowitz in seasons 4, 5 and 6 of The Walking Dead.