Disability Biography

For Magda Newman, normal was a goal—she wanted her son Nathaniel to be able to play on the playground, swim at the beach, enjoy the moments of childhood that are often taken for granted. But Nathaniel's severe Treacher Collins syndrome—a craniofacial condition—meant that other concerns came first. Could he eat without the aid of a gastrointestinal tube? Could he hear? Would he ever be able to breathe effortlessly?

Normal. Who is to say what this word means? For Magda Newman, it was a goal. She wanted her son Nathaniel to be able to play on the playground, swim at the beach, enjoy the moments his friends took for granted. But Nathaniel’s severe Treacher Collins syndrome - a craniofacial condition - meant that other concerns came first. Could he eat without the aid of a gastrointestinal tube? Could he hear? Would he ever be able to breathe effortlessly? But Nathaniel looks at “normal” from a completely different perspective.

Mit drei Jahren erlitt Ingrid Mundschin-Bohn eine Hirnhautentzündung, an der sie fast gestorben wäre. In Deutschland, wo sie als Tochter eines deutschen Vaters und einer Schweizer Mutter aufwuchs, war gerade der Krieg zu Ende gegangen, die Medikamente waren immer noch knapp, und die Ärzte wollten keine Antibiotika verschwenden an einem Kind, das in ihren Augen bereits abgeschrieben war. Aber Ingrid Mundschin ließ sich nicht abschreiben, sondern wuchs zu einer lebensfrohen und selbstbewussten Frau heran.

Roger Dykes has spent his entire life living in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, yet his accomplishments are many. He has studied law, and has been a teacher and counselor most of his adult life. He has achieved his Master’s Degree in Family Relations at Texas Tech University. He has enjoyed some notoriety during his time as a wheelchair-bound comic and after-dinner speaker. He has owned and operated a record store and has written an enlightening book about life as a disabled person, or he calls it “a non-person.”

This book is based on a true story about a young lady who really never had a chance and the cycle changed in a way like no other. Her daughter grew up and did her best of making things better for the next generations to come. In this honest and stunning novel, Latoyi Jackson has given her audience a moving story of child neglect along with abuse of an adult with mental illness. Along with secrets which has damaged several individuals during the process.

At the height of popularity for radio stations and DJs in the '70s and '80s, Curry blazed a trail for himself as “Kid” Curry. His iconic “Bed Check” segment helped propel him to star status in Miami. It followed him during his 20-year path to the dream job of Major Market program director. The perks of the job included hanging out with music legends, being invited to the White House, meeting Johnny U and a Watergate burglar, traveling around the world to find the next “number one” song and, the best part, helping listeners in need.

According to the National Eye Institute by 2020 it is estimated that 5.5 million people of all ages will be blind or have low vision. Low vision is impairment that cannot be corrected by standard eyeglasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery. That is one out of 28 and that is shocking. The purpose of this book is to let listeners know that loss of eyesight is not a death sentence. Twelve people have shared their stories detailing how they met the enemy in their own lives and how they cope on a day-to-day basis.

After contracting polio as a child, Sandra Gail Lambert progressed from braces and crutches to a manual wheelchair to a power wheelchair - but loneliness has remained a constant, from the wild claustrophobia of a child in body casts to just yesterday, trapped at home, gasping from pain. A Certain Loneliness is a meditative and engaging memoir-in-essays that explores the intersection of disability, queerness, and female desire with frankness and humor.

Madness and genius are often said to be close bedfellows, although the link between the two is little understood. Chris Joseph has known both extremes, and in The Golden Straitjacket, he lays bare his struggle with bipolar disorder and the condition's pendulum-like swing between creative dynamism and dark despair. The 66 stories or "manicdotes" can be enjoyed together or in isolation - they tell the tale of an extraordinary man whose struggle to overcome physical and mental obstacles will be an inspiration to anyone facing the stigma of physical disability and mental illness.

Daddy Won’t Let Mom Drive the Car: True Tales of Parenting in the Dark is a book of short vignettes - most of them lighthearted, a few more serious - about my life as the blind mother of a sighted daughter. Welcome to my journey! My blindness has changed a few practical logistics. But in the end, kids are kids and moms are moms, and the dents and delights of parenthood are universal.

Everyone always ask me what it is like being autistic. The reality is, being autistic is unique to each person. In this audiobook, I explain an aspect of my autism called "escaping into imagination" and how I use it to create a make-believe world to accelerate how amazing my autism is. It has often been said that people with autism struggle with pretend-play. I feel this is a misunderstanding. Just because we do not pretend play like other kids does not mean we do not have imaginations or use them to pretend in our own world.

Is it possible to find strength in struggle and purpose in pain? Ask Dr. April Jones, a young mother who battled her two-year-old son’s cancer while getting her doctorate. Her struggle to make the heart-wrenching decisions with her family led to a discovery of God, courage, and a happiness within that helped her transform scary misfortune into a joy-filled life. In No Mess, No Message, Dr. Jones shares her real, raw journey and reveals insight into how powerful thinking and strong faith can lead to inner healing.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, Kyle Pease had grown up supporting his athlete brothers Brent and Evan from the sidelines. While his condition limited his ability to play sports, it didn't dampen Kyle's passion for them, nor did it stop the Pease family from including Kyle in various excursions. From rolling his wheelchair up Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park to zipping down Colorado snow slopes, there was never a dull moment with the Pease brothers. Where there was a wheel, there was a way to adventure.

This is my story. This is the story of how my disability affected my training in the martial arts. As well as other aspects of my life. I hope to inspire others by sharing this story.

Untether is the story of JT Mestdagh, a young man born with a death sentence and who is now an entrepreneur and adventurer on a mission to empower people to untether from limiting beliefs and to soar to their highest dreams...Untether tells a story of courage, determination, and overcoming. Young or not-so-young, you will come away with a renewed sense of hope and possibility. Learn that you are not a mistake; you are created for something amazing.

Emily Owen was a highly intelligent teenager who was also athletic and a skilled musician. Tragically, in her late teens she was diagnosed as suffering from Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). Since then, Emily has survived many complicated surgical procedures, been close to death, and seen the gradual erosion of all the abilities that defined her personality including the total loss of her hearing. Despite this, she has a remarkable sense of humor and has coped with everything she has been through due to her strong Christian faith, her supportive family, and indomitable personality.

Now you can go where no one has been before: deep inside a mind with high-functioning autism. In his roller coaster of a life, Dylan Volk (aka Dielawn) has lived all over the country, tried to fit in with many different crowds, and been in jail a few times. Now he has written a tell-all book to give you all the juicy details. Don't listen to this book before you go to sleep - you may be up all night!

In 2018, Joe Hammond, wrote a piece for the Guardian about the 33 birthday cards he was writing for his two sons. It was shared by thousands. In A Short History of Falling he tells the story behind that piece, about the experience of living with - and dying of - motor neurone disease (ALS). A Short History of Falling is not a lament. It is a deeply imaginative meditation on what it feels like to confront the fact that your family will persist through time without you.

In 1991, at the height of the Somali civil war, 12-year-old Abdi Warsame ran for his life through the streets of Mogadishu. In a flash, his legs were paralyzed and his cousin killed. With his country literally falling apart around him, Abdi had little hope for recovery. But, with his faith, his family, and his indomitable spirit, Abdi pursued every available route for a better life.

It was a crisp winter day when six-year-old Kacey McCallister lost both of his legs, forever altering the course of his life. This unthinkable trial could have broken him, but from that day forward, he chose to rise above his circumstances and learn to live without limits. For those struggling to find hope in the depths of physical, spiritual, or emotional trials, this incredible story of one man’s unbreakable courage will inspire and motivate listeners to not only survive, but thrive amidst life’s challenges.