Starting Points
The following resources offer introductions to research on disability. You can use them to get a broad understanding of your topic before delving deeper with the databases and other resources listed further down on this page.
Find Data
Also explore:
- Disability StatisticsCollection of statistics on disability in the United States from various sources, compiled by the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University.
Find Books & Articles
For books, search for full titles or keywords in HOLLIS, Harvard's library catalog.
Also for books, explore the following book display feature curated by the HKS Library:
- Disability Pride Month (annually in July)
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 2022)
Finally, explore books from our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Collection:
For journal articles, explore the following peer-reviewed journals:
- Alt-PressWatchFull-text articles for over 210 publications of the alternative and independent presses, from 1970 to current.
- Disability & Society (Harvard Login)An "an international disability studies journal providing a focus for debate about such issues as human rights, discrimination, definitions, policy and practices. It appears against a background of constant change in the ways in which disability is viewed and responded to."
- Disability Studies QuarterlyJournal of the Society for Disability Studies. "It is a multidisciplinary and international journal of interest to social scientists, scholars in the humanities, disability rights advocates, creative writers, and others concerned with the issues of people with disabilities."
- Journal of Disability Policy Studies (Harvard Login)"Addresses compelling variable issues in ethics, policy and law related to individuals with disabilities. Regular features include 'From My Perspective,' which discusses issues confronting a particular disability discipline or area, and 'Point/Counterpoint' which addresses timely ethical issues affecting individuals with disabilities."
- Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies (Harvard Login)"Focusing on representations of disability, Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies publishes a wide variety of textual analyses that are informed by disability theory and, by extension, experiences of disability."
Also for journal articles, explore the databases below:
- CINAHL: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (Harvard Login)Covers research journals in nursing and allied health; also includes some materials on social work/social services and disability studies.
- Proquest Social Science Premium Collection (Harvard Login)Database collection covering the social sciences. Includes PAIS for public policy research. See also PsycINFO.
- PubMedFree, public website with database of biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
- Social Services Abstracts (Harvard Login)Covers research in the areas of social work and human services, as well as related fields including social welfare, social policy, and community development.
Find Primary Sources
- Disability History MuseumVirtual museum on the experiences of people with different abilities and changing attitudes toward disability in U.S. history. Contains digital collections of primary sources.
- Disability in the Modern World (Harvard Login)Extensive collection of primary sources (text and video) on disability history, disability rights movements, etc.
- The Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement Archives ProjectOral history interviews and other primary sources on the U.S. disability rights movement, housed at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Disability VoicesOral history collection with interviews of people with disabilities from the British Library.
Find Video
- Alexander Street Press Diversity Collection (Harvard Login)Contains documentaries, interviews, biographies, performances, and lectures.
- Digitalia Film Library (Harvard Login)Digitalia Film Library offers streaming video of films and documentaries from Latin America, Europe and North America.
- Film Platform (Harvard Login)A curated collection of educational films covering a variety of topics from legal studies generally to human rights, environmental studies, politics, technology, among others.
- Kanopy (Harvard Login)Collection of videos including documentaries. Clips can be created and saved.
- PBS Video Collection (Harvard Login)Contains hundreds of documentaries and other television broadcasts from PBS, including "American Experience," "Finding Your Roots," "Frontline," etc.
Find Podcasts
- Access All"Weekly podcast about mental health, wellbeing and disabled people. Life stories and solutions with a friendly touch – for listeners around the world. Presented by Nikki Fox."
- The Accessible StallA "disability podcast hosted by Kyle Khachadurian and Emily Ladau that keeps it real about issues within the disability community."
- Barrier Free Futures PodcastInterviews with disability activists and other disabled people in the disability community, on current disability issues, history and experiences.
- The Disability Visibility Podcast"This is life from a disabled lens. Disability Visibility is a podcast hosted by San Francisco night owl Alice Wong featuring conversations on politics, culture, and media with disabled people. If you’re interested in disability rights, social justice, and intersectionality, this show is for you."
- Down to the StrutsA "podcast about disability, design, and intersectionality, where we uncover the building blocks for a more accessible, inclusive, and equitable world for all disabled people. Our host, Qudsiya Naqui, brings together activists, scholars, artists, athletes and many others to share their wisdom about how we can reimagine policies, practices, and the built environment to center disabled bodies and the intersectional identities they hold."
- Included: The Disability Equity Podcast"A podcast from the Johns Hopkins University Disability Health Research Center that challenges stereotypes of disability by sharing stories, data, and news."