Disability Memoir

»Ich bin blind. Na und?« Dies ist das Motto der 47jährigen Sylvia, die sich trotz so mancher Rückschläge und unerwarteter Wendungen in ihrem Leben nicht unterkriegen lässt. In ihrer Autobiographie führt sie den Leser zu den wichtigen Stationen auf ihrem bisherigen Lebensweg, beispielsweise ihr Elternhaus und verschiedene Internatsschulen. Mit großer Offenheit spricht sie über Höhen und Tiefen und wie sie damit umgegangen ist. Humorvoll und einfühlsam berichtet sie über ihre Erfahrungen in Schule, Beruf und Familie, mit Freunden und in der Liebe.

In 1959, at the age of 21, Max Starkloff was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. His doctors doubted he would live longer than a few days, and, if he survived, the hope for his quality of life would be minimal. How did this young man with barely a high school education become the leader of a powerful disability rights movement and the founder of the Starkloff Disability Institute? This is his remarkable story.

It's not what I lost. It's what I've found. I was only 17, just a girl, when God asked me for everything I had...my health, my hopes, my independence, my dreams, my freedom, and my mobility. He took it all. I was so angry with him that I tried to push him away. God relentlessly held me more closely. Looking back, 40 years later, I understand that God has changed and healed me - my heart and my mind - in the most unexpected ways, giving me rubies of his wisdom about an unbending faith and an experience of his mercy I can now tell you about.

Theresa Marafito, daughter of Irish immigrant parents, was born in 1933 in New York City, blind in one eye with partial vision in the other. She was a precocious child who wanted to appear “normal” to her peers and family, regardless of her disability. Her game was to be independent, not dependent, and would rarely ask for help. At 19, she graduated magna cum laude with two master’s degrees. Theresa and her husband, Jerry, who was also visually impaired, would build a house on a shoestring budget and had two daughters; one who was also born visually impaired.

Samantha Matthews was born in Texas in 1996. Not long after her birth, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. As a child living with this disability, she had to learn how to overcome many obstacles in life. As the years progress, she grew in determination and resilience to live her best life. Everyone has their struggles and challenges in life. It can be difficult to get people to see the person behind a disability.

In "Gift of Life: Transforming Destinies through Organ Transplants," you'll travel on a remarkable journey of hope, bravery, and the astonishing power of human generosity. The amazing tales of people whose lives have been profoundly altered by the gift of a second chance—the gift of life itself—are revealed in this captivating book. You'll find a tapestry of stories that reinforce the profound worth of life by inspiring, challenging, and concluding.

Her Name Was Lola is the story of Trish Ryan’s triumphant recovery from a stroke that should have killed her. She had a successful career in the entertainment industry for over 30 years until May 5th, 2017, when she suffered a severe stroke that changed her life forever. Living a very fast-paced life had not prepared her for when it all came to a grinding halt. Lost and confused with no roadmap to follow, she relied on her faith to show her the way to embrace what happened and move forward.

A moving story about how autism and a shared appreciation for superheroes brought two brothers together. Author Josh Stehle learned everything he knows about superheroes from his older brother and best friend, Zach. From the worlds they live in, to the writers who created them, and studios who produced them--Zach is an expert in all things superhuman and heroic. He is also on the autistic spectrum.

These are a collection of new poems and some poems taken from the vault of Timothy Paul Brown. As usual they express the trials and tribulations, the glory and the pain, the grandiosity and obsession, the paranoid deluded thinking that come with having a paranoid schizophrenic disability. There is so much intensity and passion exhibited in this work of art. The author will take you to places you have never been in mind and spirit. You will feel empathy and compassion probably some sympathy. But these poems are not meant to make its listeners feel sorry for the author.

When Jim Sayre was a totally blind child growing up in Zanesville, Ohio, in the 1940s and '50s, blind children were typically steered into occupations caning chairs or tuning pianos. "Or selling pencils on street corners," Jim says. No way he was going to settle for that. With the help of a loving mother who saw the wisdom of integrating a blind child into the sighted world and Jim's own innate determination--he might call it stubbornness--Jim overcame the obstacles and prejudices blind children faced in those times.

Already facing a wretched cancer diagnosis, a young man’s prospects for survival dim as he learns his treatments have not worked. Writing against the clock, he feverishly authors a story of profound joy and sadness exploring the life he could have lived. Desperately told, his story takes you through poignant memories, intimate relationships, and fantastical triumphs in a quest to make sense of it all and leave a legacy behind.

In the haunting reality captured in this audiobook, a 13-year-old soul finds himself ensnared within the harrowing confines of a nightmarish residential treatment facility. In those 60 days, his very humanity teetered on the edge, threatened to be torn asunder. This raw and unflinching account paints a vivid portrait of a young spirit's resilience and the chilling depths of human suffering.

Lillian was a college freshman, a promising theater major facing the challenge of Stargardt’s disease, a condition that was causing her to go blind. When, in the fall of 2009, Lillian became sick, she assured her parents it was just the flu. Four days later she was in the university hospital, relying on a machine to breathe for her. Based on her father’s journal, this memoir describes what it’s like to live through a parent’s worst nightmare, conveying the heart-wrenching ups and downs of Lillian’s time in the hospital.

Kamata's adventures with her teen—who happens to be deaf, with cerebral palsy, and in a wheelchair—through subterranean Tennessee, to the islands of Japan, and to the top of the Eiffel Tower ultimately lead to a daughter's increasing independence, a mother letting go of expectations, and advocacy for travel which prohibits discrimination.

Ife Thomas’ Five Life Lessons from a Motivational Speaker’ is a deeply personal and inspiring journey through the author’s life challenges and triumphs. Ife shares her experiences of overcoming obstacles as a neurodiverse individual, from childhood rejection and grappling with an undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder to professional setbacks and personal growth. Her book weaves powerful narratives from her life with practical, actionable steps for personal development.

Learning disabilities (LD) are a root cause of major problems in our society. Vast numbers of youngsters are not receiving appropriate education. Nancy Lelewer’s story began when even less was known about learning disabilities than is known today. In a gripping and fast-moving narrative style, this audiobook brings home the fact that LD persons need to receive instruction via different routes and the earlier the better.

Brendan Conboy published his biography, ‘The Golden Thread’ in 2015. This is his continuing story and is an example of how God can still use us regardless of our weaknesses, disabilities, age and infirmities. Brendan lives with a life-limiting and disabling kidney disease. He has faced many life-threatening battles and persevered. Nearly died four times, been on life support twice. He has been in the well-known tunnel of light twice, the approach road to heaven.

Sara invites us to join her on a far more personal journey, this time, as she tests her own beliefs in the alternative health-care practices she’s learnt of over recent years. Presented with the urgency of “More tests needed right now!” when initial images reveal a lump measuring 4.5 centimetres by 1.2 centimetres in her left breast, she decides to follow a non-standard course or action.

Narrated by award-winning actress, Shariba Rivers, Kari Kelley's Living Resiliently is a book that blends autobiographical information with tips for living a resilient life. As you listen to this audiobook, you will witness the many obstacles that the author overcame in her own life. You may also recognize that you are resilient as well. As you listen to this audiobook, you may discover that living a resilient life is not just possible, it is a calling.

A rare insight into the complexities faced by autistic people and a completely new perspective on some astonishing advantages of autism. For autistic individuals, relatives and carers, teachers, friends, partners, employers or anyone else who is interested in learning about autism.