This brand new book addresses disability issues, including inclusive education, advocacy and empowerment. Aimed specifically at students studying in South Africa, this book attempts to plug the gap between policy, services and rights for disabled people in South Africa, whilst also helping readers to find a new world view. This book is suitable for both first year undergraduates in inclusive education and senior students and also academics looking to advance theory and lay good foundations for comprehensive, evidence-based practice.

"Why walk when you can soar..."

These are the opening words on Tracy Todd’s website and they are a powerful affirmation of the person Tracy is today – a sought-after inspirational speaker whose uplifting presentations have inspired and given hope to many people. But it is difficult to imagine what she has overcome in a tough and often lonely journey.

At the age of twenty-eight her life was turned upside down when a horrific road accident left her a quadriplegic, paralysed from the neck down. Her life as an athletic, marathon-running young mother and teacher was abruptly shattered. Despite months of rehabilitation, Tracy often found herself wondering if her life was worth living. Everything she had taken for granted was now beyond her reach and frustration at her helplessness threatened to overwhelm her. Against the odds, Tracy chose to live.

Her strength of character and determination prevailed and, sustained by the support of her son, family and friends, her care assistants, and an unbelievably caring community, she set about gaining the independence to rebuild her life and reclaim her identity – which she has done, with dignity and grace. Brave Lotus Flower Rides The Dragon is an honest, inspiring and engaging memoir in which Tracy’s natural warmth and humour are tangible and, most importantly, she embodies what the human spirit can achieve.

Some people have called epilepsy the disability towards which Christianity has been most antagonistic, partly because of the Church's tendency to attribute demon possession to the condition. Drawing on the very latest thinking in this area, Roy McCloughry, who is committed to supporting the increasing participation of people with disabilities in Christian communities and in society at large, reveals how people's lives are still being blighted by such attitudes, though there is much to celebrate too. This engaging book aims to encourage people to become involved with people with disabilities, as friendship is one of keys to breaking down the barriers which lead to stereotypes and fear.

By exploring the economic and social value of disabled people with positive entrepreneurial traits and adaptive skills, this innovative book breaks away from normative entrepreneurial studies to recognise the overlooked value in disabled entrepreneurs. In the study of entrepreneurship, the social tendency to disregard people with disabilities has caused a paucity of knowledge about the successful ventures of disabled people worldwide. Seeking to improve public understanding of disabled entrepreneurs, this pioneering book re-evaluates their identity, value and contribution beyond economic, cultural and geographical contexts. Chapters explore disabled entrepreneurs from non-Western economies and marginalised social segments, with a focus on emphasising the importance of disabled women entrepreneurs from developing economies as agents of change for society and the economy. Exploring the push and pull factors that exist for disabled people in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, chapters disassemble the socially institutionalised barriers to important sources of value creation by disabled entrepreneurs. With a global scope, this book will prove invaluable for students and scholars of entrepreneurship and business management. With expert insights into innovative practices and evidence-based policymaking from a range of disabled entrepreneurs, it will be a vital resource for entrepreneurs looking to build and grow inclusive and successful ventures.

This Level 2 unit is a mandatory unit for the new learning disability award, certificate and pathway of the diploma in health and social care. It has 4 credits (35 learning hours) and is a knowledge unit. This learner workbook includes: * A section on each learning outcome of the unit * Learning activities, including preparation for assessment in the workplace (where relevant) * Set of assessment questions based on the assessment criteria of the unit * Key references * Evidence log and certificate of completion

This user friendly and accessible resource emphasises the importance of respecting people using services, their families and carers. It aims to support those working in services, to empower service users and to improve the quality of care. The authors developed this material with every effort to adhere to the Charter that has been developed by the Challenging Behaviour - National Strategy Group. The approach is based on positive behavioural support, offering person-centred support, individualised interventions that are clearly based on a functional assessment, understanding the person's needs and the environment in which they live. Key to this training resource has been the inclusion of the perspectives from families and people with learning disabilities.

A disabled foreigner in Japan, a society historically hostile to difference, Kenny Fries finds himself on a journey of profound self-discovery. As he visits gardens, experiences Noh and butoh, and meets artists and scholars, he discovers disabled gods, one-eyed samurai, blind chanting priests, and atomic bomb survivors. When he is diagnosed as HIV positive, all his assumptions about Japan, the body, and mortality are shaken, requiring him to find a way to reenter life on new terms.

Sexy Like Us: Disability, Humor, and Sexuality takes a humorous, intimate approach to disability through the stories, jokes, performances, and other creative expressions of people with disabilities. Author Teresa Milbrodt explores why individuals can laugh at their leglessness, find stoma bags sexual, discover intimacy in scars, and flaunt their fragility in ways both hilarious and serious. Their creative and comic acts crash, collide, and collaborate with perceptions of disability in literature and dominant culture, allowing people with disabilities to shape political disability identity and disability pride, call attention to social inequalities, and poke back at ableist cultural norms. This book also discusses how the ambivalent nature of comedy has led to debates within disability communities about when it is acceptable to joke, who has permission to joke, and which jokes should be used inside and outside a community's inner circle. Joking may be difficult when considering aspects of disability that involve physical or emotional pain and struggles to adapt to new forms of embodiment. At the same time, people with disabilities can use humor to expand the definitions of disability and sexuality. They can help others with disabilities assert themselves as sexy and sexual. And they can question social norms and stigmas around bodies in ways that open up journeys of being, not just for individuals who consider themselves disabled, but for all people.

"With humorous prose and wry wit, Kenny makes a convincing case for all Christians to do more to meet access needs and embrace disabilities as part of God's kingdom. . . . Inclusivity-minded Christians will cheer the lessons laid out here."--Publishers Weekly "A book the church desperately needs."--Elisa Rowe, Sojourners Much of the church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have much more to offer than a miraculous cure narrative and to learn from their embodied experiences. Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ. Offering a unique blend of personal storytelling, fresh and compelling writing, biblical exegesis, and practical application, this book invites readers to participate in disability justice and create a more inclusive community in church and parachurch spaces. Engaging content such as reflection questions and top-ten lists are included.