I'm sitting on the thesis committee for a graduate student in biomechatronics—a PhD project that will be entirely technical. This student reached out to me to ask about placing engineering for disability in a larger social context, and I'm glad for the opportunity to think about what's an essential primer in disability studies, appropriate for a graduate-level young researcher whose preparation has been entirely in STEM. In case it's useful to others, here's what I'm suggesting:

1. From Lennard Davis, Ed., The Disability Studies Reader:

Davis, L. "Introduction: Disability, Normality, and Power."

Baynton, D. "Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History."

Berube, M. "Disability, Democracy, and the New Genetics."

Garland-Thomson, R. "Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory."

5. Kafer, A. Feminist, Queer, Crip.

6. Berube, M. Life As We know It: A Father, A Family, and an Exceptional Child.

7. Pullin, G. Design Meets Disability.

8. Lorde, A. The Cancer Journals.

9. This op-ed series from the New York Times.

Image is Audre Lorde's book cover. Some of you may know I speak more about Lorde and her influence on my work in both of these talks: here and here.