#Wethe15: books to inspire
Date Added: 31/08/2021
We know that books can be inspiring and generate understanding and empathy. So at the time of the Paralympics and the launching of the #WeThe15 campaign for disability visibility, inclusion and accessibility on behalf of the 15% of the world population with some disability, we are sharing with you some inspiring stories of people who succeeded in spite of disability.
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For adults
Firstly, the paralympic athlete, Martine Wright, who was caught up in the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 and lost both her legs. She went on to compete in the 2012 paralympic sitting volleyball team for GB and to become a recognised sports ambassador. This book won the Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year in 2018.
Ben Parkinson carried the Paralympic flame through his home town of Doncaster in 2012. He lost both legs and suffered brain damage in Helmond, Afghanistan. His views on current events in Afghanistan have been recently reported in the news, but Losing the battle, winning the war, published in 2021, tells of growing up, his life in the army and his road to recovery after horrific injuries. It has been described as “a reflection of what ‘heroism’ really means”.
Another inspirational story is that of three Falklands war veterans, one suffering from PTSD and one blind. The author of Never leave a man behind, Mick Dawson, tells the stories of two expeditions they undertook, one kayaking around the Falklands and one rowing the Pacific. It explores how two former Royal Marines came to terms with their disabilities.
The BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, wrote an autobiography Blood and Sand, about how he survived an assassination attempt by Islamist terrorists in Saudi Arabia in 2004, which left him a paraplegic. As well as the story of how he refused to allow disability to limit his life and work, it is also an analysis of the War on Terror. More recently, he has become a thriller writer, creating a series with the protagonist M16 operative, Luke Carlton.
Melanie Reid's disability was not the result of war or terrorism but of a riding accident. Her memoir explores her year in hospital and adjusting to life afterwards and is a life-affirming read.
Dr Amit Patel suddenly lost his sight. This is the story of adapting to a new life, with the help of his guide dog, Kika. Available in print and audiobook
The Barbellion Prize is a new prize to be awarded annually to the book judged to best represent the experience of chronic illness or disability. The inaugural 2020 winner was Golem Girl. Riva Lehrer was born with spina bifida and joined a group of artists, writers and performers who developed the concept of disability culture. She began creating portraits of members of the group and this is the story of some of these experiences. One review says “Rita Lehrer helps us discover what it is to be human when others see us as broken”.
Lee Ridley is a stand-up comedian and winner of 2018 Britain’s Got Talent. His autobiography I'm Only in it for the Parking takes a humorous look at disability, but is no less an inspiration for that.
For children
Paralympic Power was published in 2019, when the Tokyo games and paralympic games were expected in 2020. Nevertheless, the core information is still relevant, as it covers the different classifications and events and includes athlete profiles. Age 8+
Great people who reached for the stars is a collection of short biographies of people who have succeeded against the odds in various fields. It includes the model Winnie Harlow and the scientist Stephen Hawking. The author is disability activist, Louise Page. Age 9+
Biographies of individual famous people who are disabled include the swimmer Ellie Simmonds (who has also gone on to write children’s stories) and the artist Frida Kahlo who only took up painting after a terrible accident.
In fiction, the I funny series for children by James Patterson (the most popular adult author in UK public libraries (1)) is the story of a boy who wants to become a stand-up comedian – and who also happens to be in a wheelchair. It is written as a mixture of traditional prose and comic style illustrations and is aimed at age 9+.
In David Baddiel’s The Taylor Turbochaser, the main character is a girl in a wheelchair. This is a comic adventure road trip, with a character who knows what she wants. Age 8+
“When given the choice between being right or being kind choose kind.”
Wonder is the story of August, a boy with a severe facial abnormality who has been home schooled while living through many operations. At age 10, his family decide it is time he went to school and this is the story of how he, his family and the children at school adjust to this. This book inspired the #ChooseKind campaign. It is available as print, ebook and audiobook.
Auggie & me is three short stories from the point of view of other characters in August's life. These books are both aimed at age 9+. We're all wonders is a picture book reimagining of the hugely influential book Wonder, aimed at ages 3-6.
Your inspirational reads
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