Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally
REVISED EDITION LAUNCHING OCTOBER 2026!
An approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more accessible, inclusive place. Named one of the best books of 2021 by NPR and a 2021 Booklist Editors’ Choice.
The revised edition includes all of the original core content, plus: a new preface, significantly expanded history and etiquette chapters, updated sources, statistics, and examples, and a book discussion guide.
Click here for a complete image description of the book cover.
Click here to access a free plain language summary and translation of the book, written by Becca Monteleone and Emily Ladau. (Revised version coming soon!)
Order Your Copy of Demystifying Disability
(Revised Edition Available October 2026!)
About the Book
Now newly revised and expanded, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally is an approachable guide that teaches you how to be a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for creating a more accessible, inclusive world.
People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, an estimated 16 percent of the global population. But many of us—disabled and nondisabled alike—don’t know how to act toward, what to say to, or how to be an ally to the disability community. This friendly handbook provides guidance on important disability issues, including:
- How to appropriately think, talk, and ask about disability
- Recognizing and avoiding ableism (discrimination toward disabled people)
- Practicing good disability etiquette, with essential tips for navigating a world impacted by COVID-19
- Incorporating accessibility into your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events
- How to ensure accessibility becomes your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events
- Disability identity, culture, and history from the 1900s to now
- Identifying and speaking up about disability stereotypes in media
Authored by celebrated disability rights advocate, speaker, and writer Emily Ladau, this practical, intersectional guide offers all readers a welcoming place to understand disability as part of the human experience.
Emily Ladau provides a welcoming, easy-to-read guide to disability. I highly recommend this book to readers seeking to deepen their understanding of disability and ableism.
Haben Girma
Human Rights Lawyer, Speaker, and Author of Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
Demystifying Disability is a generous and approachable companion to the world of disability—especially for people who are (for the time being, at least) not disabled. This book is an expansive, welcoming, and generous guide to disability history, culture, activism, and etiquette. I’ll be using it as a reference book for years to come.
Ann Friedman
Co-author of Big Friendship
Emily Ladau has crafted an absolutely essential guide to understanding disability. In it, she dispels countless myths that surround the disabled experience, while providing practical tips for interacting with disabled people in healthier and more positive ways. I’ll be sharing with everyone I know!
Shane Burcaw
Author of Laughing at My Nightmare