Disabilities

As a young child, the author gradually lost her sight. Years later, now a wife, mother and teacher she was offered the chance of an operation which could possibly restore some of her sight.

After a childhod in rural Ireland, Tom Pey became a high-flying financial consultant in London and New York. Suddenly he lost his sight due to an almost forgotten childhood accident. After initial anger and despair he has now rebuilt his life.

Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy Heumann began her struggle for equality early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a "fire hazard" to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher's license, to leading the section 504 sit-in that led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Judy's actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people around the globe.

The Old Man of Hoy is a 449 foot high sandstone pillar located just off Hoy, second largest of the Orkney Islands. Highly subject to the North Atlantic weather it was carved by erosion from the nearby cliffs and will eventually, perhaps soon, collapse into the sea. It was first climbed by the crack team of Bonington, Baillie and Patey in 1966 and remains one of the premier challenges of British rock climbing.

From the moment he watched the televised ascent of the Old Man of Hoy, Red Szell knew his life would be incomplete until he too stood atop Europe's tallest sea stack. Those dreams went dark at nineteen when he learned he was going blind, and for twenty years he ignored the pangs of regret and desire every time the Old Man appeared again in his life. He was still climbing, but only indoors until he shared his dream with his buddies, Matthew and Andres, and, with an ever growing following looking on,they set out to confront the Orcadian giant.

At 18 years old Ryan Knighton was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. In this book he explains his condition and how it affected his life and his relationships. He tells his story with humour and dignity. The way that he tried to carry on as if nothing was happening to him and how this almost killed him in the process.

We meet Andrew Leland as he's suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he's midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness. He grew up with full vision, but starting in his teenage years, his sight began to degrade from the outside in.

Leland embarks on a sweeping exploration of the state of being that awaits him: not only the physical experience of blindness but also its language, politics, and customs. He negotiates his changing relationships with his wife and son, and with his own sense of self, as he moves to life with a disability.

Part memoir, part historical and cultural investigation, The Country of the Blind represents Leland's determination not to merely survive this transition but to grow from it - to seek out and revel in that which makes blindness enlightening.

Twenty-three very well-known people from the arts, sport, and business worlds talk about how dyslexia affected their childhood, how they were able to overcome the challenges and use the special strengths of dyslexia to achieve great success in adulthood.

A collection of the unique writings of Christy Nolan, who has never been able to speak or control his movements. His remarkable talent was only released when he was introduced to a muscular relaxant drug which has given him sufficient control to compose with a processor, manipulated by a 'unicorn' stick attached to his head.

The author, a paraplegic since the age of 19, invites the reader to travel with him as he explores life for the disabled.

This book is intended as some kind of comfort and guide in the new and frightening world experienced by recently diagnosed individuals who are facing the unknown territory of vision loss. It outlines many of the things that people new to sight loss need to know but are rarely told and, as such, it is intended as a guide for those with sight loss as well as those who care for and love them.

Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of a French magazine, suffered a stroke and became paralysed. He 'dictated' this book, which tells about his new life and feelings, by signalling with his eyelid .

Mike Brace was blinded by a firework at the age of ten. Despite this, he has enjoyed incredible sporting success, and has received a CBE for services to disabled sport. Mike is living proof that if you set your mind to it you can achieve what you strive for.

On the precipice of starting her adult life, aged eighteen, Sophie crashed her car and was instantly paralysed from the chest down. Rushed to hospital, everything she had dreamed for her life was instantly forgotten and her journey to rediscover herself and build a different life began.

Over the next eighteen years, as she strived to come to terms with the change in her body, her relationships were put to the test; she has had to learn to cope with the many unexpected and unpredictable setbacks of living with paralysis; she has had to overcome her own and other people's perceptions of disability and explore the limits of her abilities, all whilst searching for love, acceptance, meaning, identity, and purpose.

Driving Forwards is a remarkable and powerful memoir, detailing Sophie's life-changing injury, her recovery, and her life since.

A survival guide on being young and dyslexic by inspiring rising star entrepreneur and speaker Onyinye Udokporo, combining her own personal story with political and cultural insights, and practical tips and advice.

Onyinye discusses her experience of being diagnosed at 11 years old, starting a business, gaining a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school and going on to complete two degrees by the age of 22, while also being honest about the difficulties she faced throughout including with bullying and anxiety.

She shares the tips she picked up over the years for thriving with dyslexia and the strategies she used to overcome her difficulties in reading and writing well, staying organised and speaking with confidence.

Illuminating wider issues of systemic racism in the educational sector and providing a timely reminder that dyslexia can be found in any community and culture, this is an empowering story.

Susan Hampshire interviews a range of people - some famous, all from varying backgrounds - who are all dyslexic. They talk of their early difficulties, of their relationships with teachers and the attitudes of parents and employers.

Born sighted, Dave Heeley showed athletic promise from an early age, however a devastating diagnosis shattered his sporting dreams. But this amazing man overcame his blindness and rediscovered his boyhood talent for running. He went on to undertake some of the world's toughest challenges, including John O Groats to Land's End and ten marathons in ten days!

Nujeen Mustafa has cerebral palsy and cannot walk. This did not stop her braving inconceivable odds to travel in her wheelchair from Syria in search of a new life. Sharing her full story, Nujeen recounts the details of her childhood and disability, as well as the specifics of her harrowing journey across the Mediterranean to Greece and finally to Germany to seek an education and the medical treatment she needs.

Sequel to: 'Roses Round The Door' (4754). The wheelchair bound author struggles to pursue a career as a writer whilst maintaining a home and a family.

In 2008, England footballer Dave Thomas, a popular, speedy winger, was registered blind as a result of glaucoma. In his own words Dave shares his emotions and experiences and through his journey, we discover his astonishingly positive approach to life as he negotiates everyday tasks the rest of us take for granted. Now with the help of his Labrador guide dog, Hannah, Dave copes with a catalogue of daily obstacles.

Chronic illness affects everybody differently, but we all share the goal of living meaningfully and making the most of what we have. This book exists to help you take accessible steps towards that goal and build a life that truly feels like yours.

Instead of focusing on the medical side of long-term conditions, this book dives into the important parts of everyday living that often go unspoken about - from practical advice on friendships, dating and independent living, to more reflective guidance on rediscovering your identity and learning to self-advocate.

Between these pages, you'll find bespoke information and resources curated through 10+ years of lived experience, alongside words of wisdom from diverse contributors and subject experts. This book also contains journal prompts, resource lists, and (perhaps most importantly) words of comfort and validation that people with life-altering conditions simply do not hear enough.

Imagine being able to hear for the first time, or see in full-colour, or take your first steps on Earth. This incredible book celebrates the remarkable achievements made in medical engineering, and offers a glimpse of what the future might hold for humanity. Pioneering technological breakthroughs have truly changed lives. For some people, particularly those with disabilities, recent advances have crossed the realms of the purely imaginable, and reached a place of possibility. People with paraplegia can walk again, those who are hearing impaired can listen to even the faintest sounds, and some people with missing limbs can create beautiful works of art. This phenomenal book is a celebration of all that has been achieved so far, and a look at what might be possible in the near future. Is it inevitable that technology will surpass biology? From cochlear implants and pacemakers, to bionic arms and legs, this empowering book also features spotlights on pioneers including Paralympians Richard Whitehead and Blake Leeper, and the world's first 'cyborg' Neil Harbisson.

Derek Paravicini is a musical prodigy who has entertained audiences all over the world, from Ronnie Scott's and Buckingham Palace, to Las Vegas; quite a feat for a child who is blind and has learning difficulties. Derek's moving story is told by his teacher, and music psychologist, Dr Adam Ockleford.

Robert Thompson has lived with very significant sight loss for many years and has accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge on visual impairment and its impact. Here, Robert explores and explains many of the life challenges facing visually impaired people and offers practical guidance on how sighted people can most helpfully react and assist in a range of everyday situations.

Nicola Naylor lost her sight due to a congenital condition and felt that her dreams of travel would never be realised. After a change of career into clinical aromatherapy she wanted to study plant oils and their uses. Where better to do this than India? This is a celebration of her remarkable solo journey.

From the challenges of travelling when blind to becoming a parent for the first time, Kika & Me is the moving, heart-warming and inspirational story of Dr Amit Patel's sight-loss journey and how one guide dog changed his world.

'Inspiring and compelling . . . rekindles one's faith in human nature' - Andrew Marr

Amit Patel is working as a trauma doctor when a rare condition causes him to lose his sight within thirty-six 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 . . .

But Kika's stubbornness almost puts her guide dog training in jeopardy - could her quirky personality be a perfect match for someone? Meanwhile Amit has reservations - can he trust a dog with his safety? Paired together in 2015, they start on a journey, learning to trust each other before taking to the streets of London and beyond. The partnership not only gives Amit a renewed lease of life but a new best friend. Then, after a video of an irate commuter rudely asking Amit to step aside on an escalator goes viral, he sets out with Kika by his side to spread a message of positivity and inclusivity, showing that nothing will hold them back.

'An incredible story of courage, perseverance and, ultimately love' - Sun

'The most moving book of the year' - The Lady

I'm a man on a mission to show that life with Down Syndrome can be exciting and is worth living, so that other people understand and give us the chance to live life to the full and to be fulfilled.

Tommy Jessop is a multi-award winning actor, theatre performer, and campaigner. Tommy has been at the vanguard of bringing awareness of the potential of people living with Down syndrome to the media, and to government.

A Life Worth Living will be Tommy's story - from his journey into acting and campaigning while showing his unstoppable determination, charisma, and love for life. Tommy's natural instinct to help others leaps out from the pages, as does his wish to make people aware that those with learning disabilities just want to be treated like everybody else. 

Imran Sabir lost his sight as a young boy, and suffered from serious respiratory problems, yet he succeeded in his struggle to find his faith and identity. His journey sets out many lessons about religion, society, communities and personal development.

Sandy Lewis gives a humorous and enlightening insight into the world of a family living with Down's syndrome. This is a wonderfully moving story of a mother's courage and tenacity, and of a little boy you can't fail to love.

When type 1 diabetic Dianne Woodford woke up to find that overnight she had suffered almost complete sight loss, at the age of 38, she was determined not just to accept it and let people care for her. This is an emotional roller coaster which gives an insight into how Dianne embraced her new life without sight.

This book explains a new way of understanding blindness, our number one fear in life, and why family and friends are critical to adaptation. It explains a new way of understanding blindness later in life, containing information you will not hear from a doctor or eye clinic.

Mark Pollock lost his sight at the age of twenty-two. This is the story of how he overcame the odds to rebuild his life and put into practice the axiom that the key to happiness lies in taking control of your own life.

Sabriye Tenberken became blind at 12 years old. This is the story of her horseback journey through Tibet, during which she sought to bring hope and assistance to hundreds of blind children through the creation of a Tibetan Braille alphabet and the establishment of a blind school.

Wendy Hilling has a rare skin condition which affects her body inside and out. But her life changed forever when she met Ted, the Golden Retriever, and he became her full-time carer. He has saved her life more times than she can remember, always watching and listening, and Wendy is now entirely reliant on him.

The stories of two veterans - one traumatised, one blind - who rediscover themselves with the help of a friend in the course of two epic ocean adventures, kayaking around the Falklands and rowing across the Pacific.

Mick Dawson tells the story of kayaking around the Falkland Islands with friend and fellow Royal Marines veteran Steve Grenham, who was struggling to cope with the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the extraordinary tale of his 2,500-mile voyage in a rowing boat with his friend and former Royal Marine Commando Steve 'Sparky' Sparkes, who was not only a rowing novice, but also blind.

Sparky and Mick succeeded in rowing across the finish line after a truly epic voyage of over 2,500 miles from Monterey Bay in California to Waikiki, Hawaii. They'd hoped to break the record for a two-man rowboat and finish in less than fifty-five days, but a hurricane interfered with their plans. It took them eighty-two days, sixteen hours and fifty-four minutes to complete the race, but it was an even greater achievement for that, and Sparky became the first visually impaired person to row across the Pacific.

The race with Sparky was the second expedition of an organisation Mick had set up a few years earlier, The Cockleshell Endeavour, designed to help another former Royal Marine and friend, Steve Grenham, by kayaking with him around the Falklands, where both former commandos served during the 1982 conflict with Argentina.

Days before the birth of his first son, writer and academic John Hull started to go blind. He would lose his sight entirely, plunged into darkness, unable to distinguish any sense of light or shadow. With astonishing lucidity of thought and no self-pity, he finds a new way of experiencing the world and of seeing the light despite the darkness.

John Hull provides a moving portrayal of the experience of being blind and gives a heightened awareness of the role of sight in our lives. Contains strong language.