Disability Biography

Hannah Daly is a pediatric occupational therapist and an advanced sensory integration practitioner who is profoundly dyslexic, dyspraxic, and has sensory processing disorder. She has multiple university degrees but still cannot read or write. In Knowing No Boundaries, she gives an honest account of living with these hidden disabilities. This book is a unique coming-of-age, feel-good memoir that strikes the balance of vulnerability and humor.

En este libro de memorias profundamente conmovedor y sincero, Blanca Reyes Méndez comparte su viaje tras la pérdida repentina e irreversible de la visión de su ojo izquierdo. A través de la reflexión poética y la verdad personal, explora el dolor, el miedo, la curación y la transformación. Ver con el alma no trata sólo de la pérdida de visión, sino de aprender a ver de otra manera. A encontrar la luz interior. A vivir más despacio, más plenamente y con el corazón bien abierto.

In 1959, the year Terry Galloway turned nine, the voices of everyone she loved began to disappear. No one yet knew that an experimental antibiotic given to her mother had wreaked havoc on her fetal nervous system, eventually causing her to go deaf. As a self-proclaimed "child freak," she acted...

In Laughing and Crying Alone, we are offered a compelling account of the struggles associated with bipolar disorder. Alternately heartbreaking and uplifting, we follow Lisa through the laughter and the tears. Exploring Lisa's feelings of isolation, Laughing and Crying Alone provides compassion and validation to those with mental illness while shedding a much-needed light on mental health. And through it all, we see a wife and mother come to terms with the uncertainties of living with bipolar disorder and reemerge to embrace the new normal with confidence and ease.

"If you can dream it, you can do it!" - das ist bei Oliver Brünner keine Floskel. Dabei sah im Leben des heute erfolgreichen Speakers eigentlich alles ganz anders aus. Noch während seiner Geburt zieht sich die Nabelschnur seiner Mutter wie eine Schlinge um seinen Hals, weswegen er fortan mit einer spastischen Tetraparese lebt. Doch Oliver trotzt den vermeintlichen Widrigkeiten und kann heute auf einen Lebensweg zurückblicken, den dem schon früh als "Sorgenkind" titulierten Jungen wohl niemand zugetraut hätte. Seine Geheimwaffe: das Träumen.

Featured in The Advocate, New York Times, Literary Hub, Autostraddle, and New York magazine's The Cut This is a vital exploration of the ways society overlooks—and fails—young women with disabilities and chronic illnesses Miriam’s doctor didn’t believe she had breast cancer. She did...

Driven by the pursuit of perfection and the desire to truly be loved and accepted, Cynthia battled an eating disorder for thirteen long years. “Starving, Bingeing, Purging” is her raw, authentic story, told firsthand; a story not just of suffering, but of resilience, victory, and hope against all odds. In this book, Cynthia openly explores the complex issues of anorexia, bulimia, purging, and food addiction, and shares the intimate details of her journey to reclaim her life.

Le destin de Simone s’est écrit le jour de sa naissance. Son premier cri, elle le pousse en partie à cause d’un arrachement du plexus brachial qui paralyse son bras droit. Comme dans 80 % des situations, son handicap est invisible. Pourtant, à force de volonté et de courage elle embrasse une carrière de handballeuse, jusqu’à atteindre le très haut niveau.

Having gone from standing atop high mountain peaks to becoming a martial art and close-quarter combat specialist, and surviving 18 years of brutal special operations involvement, White Wolf's life took a turn that led him to face his most challenging adversary. His development of chronic illness sent his life tumbling headlong into an abyss where a maelstrom awaited. Invisible combatants threw his body into chaos.

In 1963, Philip Hodges was born, the seventh of eight children, inflicted with Cerebral Palsy. Thanks to the loving devotion of their parents, who saw Philip as a gift and not a burden, the author and his siblings experienced the power of love, devotion, and acceptance that forever changed their lives.

Amit Patel is working as a trauma doctor when a rare condition causes him to lose his sight within 36 hours. Totally dependent on others and terrified of stepping outside with a white cane after he's assaulted, he hits rock bottom. He refuses to leave home on his own for three months. With the support of his wife, Seema, he slowly adapts to his new situation, but how could life ever be the way it was? Then his guide dog, Kika, comes along....

This is the true story of a very special man whose life was suddenly and forever changed by a rare disease. Dealing with a severe backache for three days, he was taken to an emergency room. For five grueling months, his dignity, as well as his very self was stripped away. Trapped in a system that all too often is not healthcare, but Healthcareless.

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, handicap rights champ, political activist, and speaker who lived from June 27, 1880 to June 1, 1968. She was born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, and following a bout of health problem at the age of 19 months, she lost both her sight and hearing. Keller used home signals till she was seven years of age, when she met Anne Sullivan, her first instructor and long-lasting partner, who taught her language, and that includes reading and writing.

Ruth's tribe are her lively children and her filmmaker husband, Simon, who has motor neurone disease and can communicate only with his eyes. Ruth's other tribe are the friends who gather at the cove in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, and regularly throw themselves into the freezing cold water just for kicks. The Tragic Wives' Swimming Club, as they jokingly call themselves, meet to cope with the extreme challenges life puts in their way, not to mention the monster waves rolling over the horizon.

Damiano e Margherita sono due fratelli che hanno molte cose in comune: la voglia di mettersi in gioco, la caparbietà e la tenacia nel voler inseguire i propri sogni, e l'autismo. Insieme si sono esibiti in televisione e, mano nella mano sul palcoscenico, sembrano finalmente aver trovato il loro posto nel mondo. Già dalla mattina successiva, però, i due sono obbligati a tornare alla realtà. Damiano vive a Rimini e ha le idee molto chiare sul futuro: una moglie – "l'altra metà della mela" – con cui avere dai dodici ai venti figli, milioni di dischi venduti, concerti in tutto il mondo.

Helen Keller’s name is forever linked with courage, perseverance, and the power of education. In Midstream: My Later Life, she picks up where The Story of My Life left off, offering a rare look at her journey beyond her early triumphs. Here, Keller recounts the challenges and victories of adulthood—her advocacy for people with disabilities, her international travels, her friendships with world leaders and artists, and her tireless fight for social change. She writes candidly about setbacks, loneliness, and the weight of public life, but also about the deep sense of purpose that guided her.

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.

At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan Henley were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome — a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous medical procedures to keep them alive. Doctors expanded the twins’ skulls and broke bones to make room for their growing organs. After each surgery, the sisters felt like strangers to each other, unable to recognize themselves in the mirror.

Dr. Paul Boskind, a successful psychologist and LGBTQ+ advocate, thought he had everything under control. Diagnosed with a blinding retinal disorder at twenty-one, he defied the odds, building a fulfilling life. But years earlier than expected, his vision began to fade. The Blind Man Game is Paul’s poignant journey of self-discovery as he navigates the emotional turmoil of losing his sight and sense of self. With his future uncertain, Paul must draw on his expertise and inner strength to confront grief, fear, and a world no longer designed for him.

At the age of 30, Jake found himself hospitalized, grappling with the weight of anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Soon, he received the life-altering diagnosis of schizophrenia. In this intimate and illuminating book, you are invited into Jake's world, a world he shares with his mother, Laurette, through alternating chapters.