Mark Bookman is a historian of disability policy and connected social movements in Japanese and transnational contexts. Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Tokyo College, Mark holds PhD and MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania as well as a BA from Villanova University. Mark’s research has been supported by numerous grants and awards, including a Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship to Japan and Japan Foundation Doctoral Fellowship.

Mark’s scholarship on disability has appeared or is forthcoming in peer-reviewed journals like The Journal of Japanese Studies, Disability Studies Quarterly, and Japan Focus: The Asia-Pacific Journal. Mark has also written editorials and commentary for public media outlets such as The Japan Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. 

Outside of the academy, Mark also works as an accessibility consultant. He has collaborated with government agencies and corporate entities in Japan, the United States, and Canada, as well as the International Paralympic Committee and United Nations, on projects related to inclusive education, equitable transportation, and disaster risk management for diverse populations of disabled people.