Rebecca loves her younger brother Joel, but sometimes she finds it hard to look after him – Joel has Down’s syndrome. One day, when Rebecca and Joel discover a ring of toadstools used by elves, they find themselves transported into a magical world in which Joel is the hero. Soon Rebecca discovers that her brother possesses very special qualities that she had not noticed before… Eons ago when the world was newborn, When the sun came up on the very first dawn, When the flowers and trees were...

A "fascinating memoir" of living with partial deafness that offers new insight into the nature of language ( Booklist).Much has been written about the profoundly deaf, but the lives of the nearly thirty million partially deaf people in the United States today remain hidden. Song without Words tells the astonishing story of a man who, at the age of thirty-four, discovered that he had been unable to hear higher ranges of speech since a bout of scarle...

Solitary Courage is the story of a mother’s tough-love determination, her severely disabled daughter’s astonishing triumphs, and a documentary record of the political battles, organizational conflicts, and human struggles that citizens with disabilities face and fight every day of their lives.Mona Winberg became a pioneer of independent living, and emerged a leading advocate for citizens with mental and physical disabilities. Her courageous causes erupted from her deep res...

The first book to cover the entirety of disability history, from pre-1492 to the presentDisability is not just the story of someone we love or the story of whom we may become; rather it is undoubtedly the story of our nation. Covering the entirety of US history from pre-1492 to the present, A Disability History of the United States is the first book to place the experiences of people with disabilities at the center of the American narrative. In many ways, ...

It is awe-inspiring to witness the relationship between a blind person and their loyal, hard-working, intelligent, and loving guide dogs. Of course, every guide dog and blind person is different, so their relationships are all different. This short illustrated book recounts twenty-one heart-felt stories about the relationships between blind people and their guide dogs. Some are funny, some are sad, some are ordinary, some extraordinary.  Most are awe-inspiring.  L...

This insider account provides much-needed information about a subject of increasing interest: people with Asperger Syndrome (AS) working in management positions. Johnson draws on his personal experiences to explain how elements such as the working environment, managing staff, group dynamics and office politics can have a profound influence on work performance. He provides useful examples and guidance on adapting to the workplace and coping with the pressures and demands of professional rol...

In this ground-breaking new work, Dan Goodley makes the case for a novel, distinct, intellectual, and political project – dis/ability studies – an orientation that might encourage us to think again about the phenomena of disability and ability.Drawing on a range of interdisciplinary areas, including sociology, psychology, education, policy and cultural studies, this much needed text takes the most topical and important issues in critical disability theory, and pushes them into new ...

The story of Jamie Bérubé’s journey to adulthood and a meditation on disability in American lifePublished in 1996, Life as We Know It introduced Jamie Bérubé to the world as a sweet, bright, gregarious little boy who loves the Beatles, pizza, and making lists. When he is asked in his preschool class what he would like to be when he grows up, he responds with one word: big. At four, he is like many kids his age, but his Down syndrome prevents most people fr...

Do children and adults with disabilities enrich our lives? Far more than most people imagine.Our Better Angels is a testament to the value of individuals with disabilities and the value that society could derive from being more welcoming to and inclusive of them. The reward is the powerful humanizing influence that they can have on others-even some of the most hardened people among us.Colorful, real-life examples illustrate how a disability can be ...

Phallacies: Historical Intersections of Disability and Masculinity is a collection of essays that focuses on disabled men who negotiate their masculinity as well as their disability. The chapters cover a broad range of topics: institutional structures that define what it means to be a man with a disability; the place of women in situations where masculinity and disability are constructed; men with physical and war-related disabilities; male hysteria, suicide clubs, and mercy killi...

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the only UN treaty to date in which the people who are its target, that is disabled people, were actively involved in its drafting and the only one which requires the active participation of disabled people in its implementation. This does not, of course, automatically guarantee the direct participation of all disabled people. This is especially so for children with disabilities, whose status as legal minors may in...

This publication will help all service providers to ensure that disabled children and young people with additional support needs can access services and lead a life as part of their local community, focusing on children who require clinical procedures, children who require moving and handling and children who need intimate care as part of their personal support.Drawing on and including examples of good practice from across the country, Making it work for children with complex h...