Sharon Orlopp's Blog - Posts Tagged "non-fiction"
Celebrating the 28th Anniversary of the ADA
Today, July 26, 2018, is the 28th anniversary of the date President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans With Disabilities Act which prohibits discrimination and guarantees civil rights of people with disabilities. The ADA paves the way for equal opportunity and access and full integration of differently abled people into society and communities.
Why does this matter? According to the 2010 census, there are over 57 million people in the US with a disability. That’s one in five Americans. 19% of our population. With the aging of the population, typically more than 2.2 million Americans join the differently abled ranks every five years.
Many of us either have a disability or have family members, loved ones, and friends who are disabled. Disabilities are non-discriminatory---they occur to people from all backgrounds, religions, races, ethnicities, genders, etc.
Reading memoirs from differently abled people helps us experience life from another’s perspective. Some of my favorite books in this genre include:
I Can See Clearly Now by Steve Hanamura. As a blind person, Steve describes walking into the Department of Motor Vehicles and cracking a joke about having a difficult time parking his car. Humor often helps put others at ease.
https://www.amazon.com/Can-Clearly-Di...
In An Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff: Bob suffered a major brain injury from an explosive device in Iraq and describes his experience and road to recovery.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Standing Up After Saigon by Thuhang Tran and Sharon Orlopp: Thuhang faced significant challenges due to polio, war, poverty, family separation, and immigration. She crawled on the ground for 17 years before having surgery that enabled her to stand upright with the aid of braces and crutches.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Why does this matter? According to the 2010 census, there are over 57 million people in the US with a disability. That’s one in five Americans. 19% of our population. With the aging of the population, typically more than 2.2 million Americans join the differently abled ranks every five years.
Many of us either have a disability or have family members, loved ones, and friends who are disabled. Disabilities are non-discriminatory---they occur to people from all backgrounds, religions, races, ethnicities, genders, etc.
Reading memoirs from differently abled people helps us experience life from another’s perspective. Some of my favorite books in this genre include:
I Can See Clearly Now by Steve Hanamura. As a blind person, Steve describes walking into the Department of Motor Vehicles and cracking a joke about having a difficult time parking his car. Humor often helps put others at ease.
https://www.amazon.com/Can-Clearly-Di...
In An Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff: Bob suffered a major brain injury from an explosive device in Iraq and describes his experience and road to recovery.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Standing Up After Saigon by Thuhang Tran and Sharon Orlopp: Thuhang faced significant challenges due to polio, war, poverty, family separation, and immigration. She crawled on the ground for 17 years before having surgery that enabled her to stand upright with the aid of braces and crutches.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
