Disability Biography

In The Future Is Disabled, Leah Laksmi Piepzna-Samarasinha asks some provocative questions: What if, in the near future, the majority of people will be disabled—and what if that's not a bad thing? And what if disability justice and disabled wisdom are crucial to creating a future in which it's possible to survive fascism, climate change, and pandemics and to bring about liberation?

One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent - but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

In this awe-inspiring memoir, Nalevate, Lanale Robinson shares his breathtaking journey of resilience, determination, and triumph. Diagnosed as a quadriplegic after a life-altering accident. Lanale defied the odds, and rose above challenges. Today he walks, a living testament to the boundless potential of the human spirit.

Mutter Anna Maria erlitt im Jahr 2013 eine schwere Gehirnblutung, einen Schlaganfall, welcher sie zu einem absoluten Pflegefall machte und ihren Charakter sehr wesentlich veränderte. Die Familie, Ehegatte Friedrich, genannt Fritz und Tochter Sabine (die Autorin), standen vor nie geglaubten Herausforderungen. Das Buch beschreibt sehr umfangreich die Facetten des geänderten Alltages, nimmt dabei Leser*innen sehr ehrlich auf eine „Achterbahnfahrt der Gefühle" mit.

Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn’t “look” autistic. But, as he’s quick to point out in this memoir, autism “looks” different for just about everyone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

My stroke occurred on December 10, 2021. During the hours that my mind was deteriorating, my life was sent down an inevitable pathway that would include emergency medical intervention, brain surgery, and months of therapy addressing physical and emotional health as well as speech and cognitive skills. What was not inevitable in all of this was the unique inner duality that emerged. Buddy (right brain) embraced the realm of peace and tranquility. Sir! (left brain) controlled the management of the brain: order, details, time, and knowing the feeling of being in charge.

Adversity Builds Character is the story of a young man's life struggles to find his way through the trials and tribulations of family turmoil, self-determination, and personal judgment. This transformational life experience, like so many, demonstrates the triumph of the human spirit over the pitfalls in our modern world. From a divorce wrecked family life through the upheavals of a shattered home brought on by a disease-ridden single mom, Thomas Ufert is blessed with the first of many second chances granted to him by his Godmother and her family.

This is my inspirational true story of childhood sexual abuse that I endured. The abuse was a secret, even to me, due to the fact that all the painful images were locked up in my subconscious for close to 37 years.

After losing both legs from the pelvis down at the age of five, Spencer West tackled challenge after challenge, learning to navigate a world set against those with disabilities. In this deeply personal and transformative guide, he reveals how he stopped living by the expectations of others and instead embraced his true identity, passions, and purpose.

Most people encounter disability at some point in their lives, either in their own bodies or through a friend or loved one. Faith leaders, sacred texts, and members of religious communities frequently offer religious teachings and metaphors as explanation for the presence of disability, but rarely do we hear the voices of people living with disabilities reflecting on their experiences of God, faith, or religious life.

“I was twelve when they locked me away. They didn’t give me therapy though. They gave me trauma.” Broken Doll is a brutally honest collection of poetry and artwork created from inside the walls of psychiatric institutions. Written by Michelle, a survivor who spent her entire adolescence sectioned in mental health units, this book lays bare the pain, confusion, and silent fury of growing up in a broken system. Through raw, emotionally charged poems and haunting original artwork, Michelle documents years of systemic abuse, isolation, and resistance.

Dietetics practitioners are food and nutrition experts who help people live healthier lives. They work in a variety of settings—from hospitals and research to sports, schools, nursing homes, and the food industry. Yet, despite the diversity of the populations they serve, the dietetics profession is predominantly female, white, and able-bodied. Only 2% of dietetics practitioners have a disability compared to 29% of US adults. There is an urgent need to diversify the field—especially by including practitioners with disabilities.

Darlene was a small-town single mother from Arkansas. Bert was a small-town preacher’s son from Oklahoma. Polio crippled both of them as teenagers. When their paths crossed at a rehab center in 1952, these young adults questioned how anything good could come from this crippling virus. Bert’s faith in the Biblical passage of Romans 8:28 gave him hope that “Polio was not good, but God would bring good out of it.” Darlene’s journey to the rehab center was “the one way for God to get me in the right place at the right time.”

Macular degeneration affects over eight million people in the United States. Patients lose central vision, the ability to read fine print and recognize faces. A diagnosis doesn't mean surrendering to these challenges. Instead, understanding this medical condition will help pave the way toward a better future-for yourself or loved one.

You struggle with your disability. You're tired of being counted out of life. Are you frustrated because you feel, or have been told, you can't be 100% healthy with your disability? It's time for a change! It's time to prove everyone (including your doctors) wrong! Author and certified personal trainer Tony Jacobsen, who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bones Disease), has transformed his entire life and now shares the formula to empower other people with disabilities.

Everything happens for a reason; I truly believe writing these words was one of the primary purposes of my life. Father God gave me this disability - I’m just trying to make the most out of it. This is not your typical autobiography or memoir. I’m sharing my life experiences as more of a commentary on humanity as a whole. I do my best to sprinkle bits of comedy throughout the composition so it feels more like a conversation between friends than me just talking at you.

When you hear the word “disability”, what comes to mind? Cheryl Schiltz tells her story of being introduced to disability. She shares her journey from a silent world to one that encased her in constant anxiety. Her life as she knew it had disappeared. It became one of a continuous fight between psychological and physical change. Noise. From her childhood, you’ll find yourself traveling with her as she discovers the power to gain control. She shares her story openly and honestly, raw and sensitive.

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.

Luisa L’Audace wächst als einziges behindertes Kind in ihrem Heimatdorf auf. Warum sie im Sportunterricht immer als Letzte gewählt wird, in der Pause nicht mitspielen soll und ihre Freundinnen plötzlich nicht mehr neben ihr sitzen wollen, versteht sie lange Zeit nicht. Während andere Kinder Freizeitbeschäftigungen nachgehen, verbringt Luisa viel Zeit in Krankenhäusern, bei Therapien und Spezialist*innen. Als sie mit 14 einen Rollstuhl bekommt, fühlt sie sich zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben frei. Doch mit der neu gewonnenen Mobilität nehmen auch die Anfeindungen zu.

I know this sounds a bit cliche, but life truly is a journey. It evidences as a unique sojourn for every individual person. This is the story of a child born seventy years ago. It is a story of triumph and setbacks, of joy and sorrow, of weakness and strength. But most of all, it is a story of courage. Brian J. Woznicki was born with cerebral palsy. He was dealt a very difficult hand in life.