Our Collections: Spotlight on Library Resources Blog Posts

Spotlight on: Library Resources for Disability History Month 2025

There is a wealth of material in a range of formats, both in the Library and online, to support Disability History Month (20th November to 20th December 2025). This year’s theme of Disability, Life and Death focuses on the crucial debate around assisted dying.

The Library has compiled a resource list to support disability studies in general, and disability history in particular. The list includes biographies and autobiographies of people with disabilities (in print, ebook and audiobook format), as well as children’s books, film and TV content.

We also have a dedicated list of personal stories of people with speech and language disorders, to support our newest health care programme. The BSc in Speech and Language Therapy, launched this year, joins our existing portfolio of health care qualifications such as Adult and Children’s Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Sports Therapy. Other relevant resources held by the Library include the Jessica Kingsley Autism and Neurodiversity Collection of eBooks which help people to navigate neurodiversity, as well as providing rich research material. There is much more to be found on our Neurodiversity resource list, and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) guide. 

You can also read about some local history relating to disability. Our Snapshots from the Archives have featured a Braille book group created by Froebel staff 100 years ago, and a former Roehampton student who went on to succeed as a Wimbledon wheelchair tennis champion.

Queen Mary’s Hospital over the road was founded in 1915 to serve soldiers who had lost limbs in the First World war, and became a pioneering centre in the development of prostheses; while the nearby Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability on West Hill, whose mission is to provide “expert care and support for those with complex neurological conditions,” was founded in 1854.

Image from Queen Mary's Hospital  website

Roehampton staff and students have free access to a range of film streaming services, including BFI Player for Higher Education. Content is curated by experts at the British Film Institute, and includes the Disabled Britain on Film collection featuring the changing portrayal of disabled people on screen over the last century.

The Library also provides a range of services for students who have disabilities, from converting texts into a suitable format, to providing adaptable furniture in the Library building. Many of these features can be helpful for anyone, with or without a registered disability; for instance, most of our eBook platforms are compatible with browser text-to-speech functions, allowing you to listen to your textbooks if you prefer. We also provide audiobooks for your leisure reading (fiction, biographies, travel, etc) via the Libby app. See our Accessibility guide for further details: https://library.roehampton.ac.uk/accessibility/home.