Melissa was diagnosed with Autism as a young child. Autism affects social and communication skills, and also involves unusual repetitive behaviours. This is a true story that is not simply about the struggles of a child with Autism. This book captures the resilience, unconditional love and endless perseverence of Melissa and her family. It is rare to read a story told with such beautiful honesty. As Melissa's former community worker and her current friend, I would like to express my admiration for her journey. I have had the opportunity to watch her blossom from a child who was fearful and in her own world to a young adult pursuing social relationships with enthusiasm, empathy, and curiosity. Not to mention that she is now an entrepreneur Melissa truly is a remarkable woman. And this story about her life reaches out to touch your heart and open your mind. Jennifer Janes Community Helper of Individuals with Autism and current friend of Melissa Rhonda was able to make a difference in Melissa's life against all odds. When the medical profession and the school system gave Rhonda little hope that Melissa could have a normal life, she never accepted this dire prediction. When there was no help, she tried strategies that she felt would make a difference for Melissa. She sought out every treatment that was then available to help Melissa. What Rhonda had done is nothing short to a miracle-a miracle that was created through Perseverence and fueled by a mother's love. This is a "must-read book" for all to remind us that we can make a difference in the life of a child. It is a true story with a happy ending. Arlene Smith Retired Principal and Former Special Education Principal.

Education is the foundation to almost all successful lives. It is vital that learning opportunities are available on a global scale, regardless of individual disabilities or differences, and to create more inclusive educational practices. Disability and Equity in Higher Education Accessibility is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly material on emerging methods and trends in disseminating knowledge in higher education, despite traditional hindrances. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant topics such as higher education policies, electronic resources, and inclusion barriers, this publication is ideally designed for educators, academics, students, and researchers interested in expanding their knowledge of disability-inclusive global education.

Research on assistive technologies is undergoing many developments in its effectiveness in helping those with varying impairments. New technologies are constantly being created, researched, and implemented for those who need these technological aides in daily life. Assistive Technologies for Physical and Cognitive Disabilities combines worldwide cases on people with physical and cognitive disabilities with the latest applications in assistive technologies. This reference work brings different researchers together under one title to discuss current findings, developments, and ongoing research in the area of rehabilitative technology. This reference book is of critical use to professionals, researchers, healthcare practitioners, caretakers, academicians, and students.

This book focuses on the ground-breaking coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games by the UK's publicly owned but commercially funded Channel 4 network, coverage which seemed to deliver a transformational shift in attitudes towards people with disabilities. It sheds important new light on our understanding of media production and its complex interactions with sport and wider society. Drawing on political economy and cultural studies, the book explores why and how a marginalised group was brought into the mainstream by the media, and the key influencing factors and decision-making processes. Featuring interviews with key people involved in the television and digital production structures, as well as organisational archives, it helps us to understand the interplay between creativity and commerce, between editorial and marketing workflows, and about the making of meaning. The book also looks at coverage of the Rio Paralympics, and ahead to the Tokyo Games, and at changing global perceptions of disability through sport. This is fascinating reading for any advanced students, researchers, or sport management or media professionals looking to better understand the media production process or the significance of sport and disability in wider society.

RAISING SUPERMAN is the first book in a two-part series by Howard L. Rodgers documenting over sixteen years of secrets, strategies, solutions and shortcuts that his family found essential while raising their severely autistic son. Going way beyond just the medical, sensory and behavioral techniques, it is a road map to getting real results so that families can begin to succeed against this horrible disease. One step forward in the epic battle against the flood of tears. Created as a guide to help other families, this text is "Autism 101" providing triage for one of life's major tragedies. It is intended for those who need it the most, those families who have children struggling with the most extreme cases of autism. Providing a sword and shield, when doctors, medicines, prayers and even tears don't help. Written from parents to parents documenting real life experiences and time proven results. This is a book unlike anything else available. Many real life secrets are revealed that have never previously been disclosed, along with priceless things which really helped their son to improve. It is a comprehensive resource to help guide those struggling with their own personal autism battle, to quickly get them to the highest levels of success. This book is a road map to the solutions, strategies and shortcuts that really work in the battle against Autism.

There can be little doubt that the rapid technological developments that have characterized the decades since the middle of the 19th century have given great scope for improving the quality of life of disabled people. Disabled Students in Education: Technology, Transition, and Inclusivity reports on 15 research projects aimed at improving the educational prospects of disabled people. Through its discussion of three main themes technology, transition, and inclusivity this book aims to be of interest to disabled students, their parents and teachers, and the people who run, and set policies for, their educational providers.

Bible and Bedlam first critically questions the exclusion and stereotyping of certain biblical characters and scholars perceived as 'mad', as such judgements illustrate the 'sanism' (prejudice against individuals who are diagnosed or perceived as mentally ill) perpetuated within the discipline of Western biblical studies. Second, it seeks to highlight the widespread ideological 'gatekeeping' - 'protection' and 'policing' of madness in both western history and scholarship - with regard to celebrated biblical figures, including Jesus and Paul. Third, it initiates creative exchanges between biblical texts, interpretations and contemporary voices from 'mad' studies and sources (autobiographies, memoirs etc.), which are designed to critically disturb, disrupt and displace commonly projected (and often pejorative) assumptions surrounding 'madness'. Voices of those subject to diagnostic labelling such as autism, schizophrenia and/or psychosis are among those juxtaposed here with selected biblical interpretations and texts.

Examining representations of mental difference, this collection focuses on the ways that adaptations (including remakes, reboots, and other examples of remixed narratives) can shape and shift the social contexts and narratives we use to define mental disability. The movement of narratives across media in adaptation, or within media but across time and space in the case of remakes and reboots, is a common tactic for revitalization, allowing storytellers to breathe new life into tired narratives, remedying past inaccuracies and making them accessible and relevant for contemporary audiences. Thus, this collection argues that adaptation provides a useful tool for examining the constraints or opportunities different media impose on or afford narratives, or for measuring shifts in ideology as narratives move across cultures or through time. Further, narrative functions within this collection as a framework for examining the ways that popular media exerts rhetorical power, allowing for deeper understandings of the ways that mental disability is experienced by differently situated individuals, and revealing relationships with broader social narratives that attempt to push definitions of disability onto them.

When Nancy was in her late twenties, she began having blinding headaches, tunnel vision, and dizziness, which led to the discovery of an abnormality on her brain stem. Complications during surgery caused serious brain damage, resulting in partial paralysis of the left side of her body and memory and cognitive problems. Although she was constantly evaluated by her doctors, Nancy's own questions and her distress got little attention in the hospital. Later, despite excellent job performance post-injury, her physical impairments were regarded as an embarrassment to the "perfect" and "beautiful" corporate image of her employer. Many conversations about brain injury are deficit-focused: those with disabilities are typically spoken about by others, as being a problem about which something must be done. In Living with Brain Injury, J. Eric Stewart takes a new approach, offering narratives which highlight those with brain injury as agents of recovery and change in their own lives. Stewart draws on in-depth interviews with ten women with acquired brain injuries to offer an evocative, multi-voiced account of the women's strategies for resisting marginalization and of their process of making sense of new relationships to self, to family and friends, to work, and to community. Bridging psychology, disability studies, and medical sociology, Living with Brain Injury showcases how--and on what terms--the women come to re-author identity, community, and meaning post-injury. In the Qualitative Studies in Psychology series J. Eric Stewart is a Clinical-Community Psychologist and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell.

A 45 year old man stricken by a rare disease that has taken the very spirit, the drive out of most men however Steve Brown has seen life from 'both sides ." Memories of his past accomplishments and those of his handicapped father, brother, and sister, have lent a hand in the making of a determined spirit sought after by many. Equipped with his guitar, a notebook, and a tank of gas, and all the peace he can muster, Steve invites all who dare to venture a slice of the fortitude he enjoys and will gladly pass on to others. Steve's spirit, soul, and can do attitude is surely infectious and will enable any person to find peace in this topsy turvy world. Highly recommended you have a box of tissues handy.

Despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, many forms of discrimination against people with disabilities are still practiced, denying opportunity for employees, as well as the employers who might hire and support them. Based on a multi-year research project by a team of experts in human resource management, economics, and communications, Hidden Talent showcases the innovative practices of organizations that are actively hiring, training, and retaining people with disabilities-and thriving as a result. The authors reveal the roots of disability discrimination and demonstrate the benefits, to employers and employees alike, of investing in disabled workers, featuring in-depth case examples. Additional resources, including an overview of the ADA, information on tax and legal incentives, and listing of related publications, organizations, and websites, will make this book essential for anyone researching, managing, or experiencing the dynamics of disability in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990 to protect and assist over 20 million people with disabilities. Though its mandates for business are far-reaching, many forms of discrimination are still practiced, denying opportunity for employees and potential employees with disabilites, as well as the companies that might hire and support them. Meanwhile, as many analysts argue, we are heading toward a high-skill labor shortage, with a largely untapped resource ready to fill the gap. Based on a multi-year research project by a team of experts in human resource management, economics, and communications, Hidden Talent showcases the innovative practices of organizations that are actively hiring, training, and retaining people with disabilities-and thriving as a result. The authors reveal the roots of disability discrimination, and demonstrate the benefits, to employers and employees alike, of investing in disabled workers, featuring in-depth case examples. Additional resources, including an overview of the ADA, information on tax and legal incentives, and a listing of related publications, organizations, and websites, will make this book essential for anyone researching, managing, or experiencing the dynamics of disability in the workplace.