Five New Books By Wheelchair-Using Authors


The days are getting shorter and soon enough it’ll be time to post yourself in front of a fire with a good book and a hot drink. To help you settle into the season we’ve made a list of five recent books by wheelchair-using authors, most of whom are also NM contributors.


1. Demystifying Disability

By Emily Ladau

Written to help make the disability experience more accessible, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally is an enjoyable, easy-to-read guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people. Ladau, who has been disabled since birth, explores topics like disability etiquette, history, culture, ableism, and media representation while weaving in stories from her own life.


2. The Fabulous T-Babes

By Mike Ervin and Stephanie Lupu

Longtime New Mobility columnist Mike Ervin, the one and only Smart Ass Cripple himself, lends his trademark wit to a graphic novel. Illustrated by Lupu, The Fabulous T-Babes follows the adventures of three “thalidomide babies” who must use their superpowers to escape danger. The first edition is out now. For purchasing info, email the authors at the link above.


3. Confined to Align

By Ashley Lyn Olson

After years of writing about accessible travel for New Mobility and various other websites, including her own, Olson shifts her focus to a less enjoyable but perhaps more critical topic: dealing with unexpected medical catastrophe. In sharing her experience recovering from a devastating pressure sore, Olson provides a helpful template for others coping with hard times. Available soon on Amazon.


4. Live the Impossible: How a Wheelchair has Taken Me Places I Never Dared to Imagine

By Jenny Smith

Fresh off her July NM article on planning your dream trip, Smith fulfilled one of her dreams with the release of her memoir. In Live the Impossible, she writes candidly about the ups and downs of 32 years of living as a C6-7 quadriplegic. Between her international travels, her speaking career and her blogging and YouTube videos, Smith has plenty of tales to tell and even more lived-experience to share.


Getting Your Brain and Body Back: Everything You Need to Know after Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, or Traumatic Brain Injury

By Bradford Berk

Berk is the only one of these five authors who hasn’t written for NM (yet). The highly-regarded medical researcher who sustained a high-level SCI at the peak of his career is also the only one who founded a neurorestoration institute. He brings his unique blend of personal and professional experience to this all-encompassing neurological recovery guide.


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