Disability Memoir

My wife Yash and I can vividly recall each moment related to the life of Maurya, our first-born. The arrival of our son Maurya on July 11, 2012, was a watershed moment for us. Everybody’s journey on planet Earth is different, yet there are commonalities in certain universal experiences that bind us together as a race with emotional chords.

In 1989, at the tender age of 12 years old, Ms. Meadows awoke from a coma to find herself suddenly struck blind and severely brain injured. This greatly complicated her young life. When she was yet a minor child, her mother sued the doctor who caused this tragedy. This ultimately made Ms. Meadows' situation more desperate than ever. After the settlement; Ms. Meadows' parents continued to deny her treatment for her injuries. As a result, her life went off the rails in a huge way.

Every dyslexic person has their own story. This is my story; my story of discovery. My story of taking ownership and realising that my so-called disability is my greatest gift This is not a conventional audiobook about dyslexia. This is an audiobook about you! You truly conquering your dyslexia, and not being totally reliant on a school, your parents, or other people, but being reliant on yourself. Not letting dyslexia hold you back but push you to become the best version of yourself.

I wrote this book to share with you; that I have cerebral palsy, but it does not define me. I hope you listen to this book; understand my challenges and successes. I live by these words “If I don’t take the challenge and do my best, I don’t taste success.” This book has short essays on the important events in my life. The chapters with poems is based on my feelings; what happens in my life.

Joe Secrist was born with a rare condition called coloboma, which means that part of the one or more structures inside an unborn baby’s eye does not fully develop during pregnancy. A coloboma occurs in about one in 10,000 births. He was not diagnosed until his early childhood and was considered the clumsy boy who crashed his bike. This is Joe’s story and his account of life during his years of abuse and neglect. Once sent away, his abuse continued at the Indiana School for the Blind. Joe has kept his silence until now.

Lionheart is an inspiring story of love, forgiveness, and the power of music. On April 27, 2016, while riding his bicycle in Nashville, Tennessee, David was hit by a distracted driver. Doctors told him he would never walk again. His life had changed forever. Lionheart is the richly detailed and intimate account of David's crash, recovery, and return to music: From thinking he lost everything, to appearing on national television (twice), to marrying his soulmate, Kristi - to finding a life and purpose beyond his wildest imagination.

When a devastating event takes away the way of life you are accustomed to, you have two choices: Stop living, or start planning! In this memoir, Shawn Paulsen demonstrates how he has overcome his stumbling blocks and turned them into stepping stones on his journey through the misfortunes of life. Shawn’s story inspires and motivates others to overcome. He describes how he has learned to face adversity with his chin up by taking a comedic view of his malady and life.

Not that anyone wishes to be paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, but tragedy set the stage for triumph and the making of a real life fairy tale. When the harsh reality of paralysis turned the dream of having a family together into a nightmare for Erik and Jennifer, they had to face their deepest fears and live courageously, because sometimes fairy tales are just stories of love's perseverance. 

Inside My Outside: An Independent Mind in a Dependent Body provides an in-depth look into the life of a young woman with cerebral palsy who cannot walk or talk but who uses an electronic device for communication. This memoir covers three full days, from morning to night, in Sara Pyszka’s life, providing glimpses of past relationships, friendships, schooling, and outrageous stories about the challenges of hiring, firing, and working with personal care assistants.

Do you know an adult with autism, Down syndrome, or another special need? One in eight people on our planet live with some form of disability. And they all deserve to live productive, engaged lives. Are we willing to help them accomplish this goal? The mother of an adult with autism, Andrea Moriarty leveraged her son’s passion, talent, and personality to help him create an out-of-the-box vocation: A podcast. After more than 80 interviews, she recognized three vital attitudes that people with disabilities teach us - risk taking, humility, and kindness.

Jordan’s traumatic birth caused brain damage, whose limits he refused to accept. He embraced every struggle, learned to work through his weaknesses, and ultimately, redefined himself despite his learning disability label. All thanks to his dedicated cheer squad - family, friends, and God - he knows his potential has no limits, except those he puts on himself. But that doesn’t mean he’s escaped significant hiccups and challenges along the way.

Bárbara Anderson narra con brutal franqueza el día a día de tener un hijo con discapacidad: los retos dentro y fuera de casa, las complicaciones de salud y de vida; los cambios de prioridades; el Everest de cada día al tener un hijo con - hasta ahora - un diagnóstico irreversible como es la parálisis cerebral infantil.

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?

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.

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.