Special Collections
Blindness and Visual Impairment Special Collection
Description: A collection featuring biographies, memoirs, fiction and non-fiction by and about members of the blind community. #disability
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Thunder Dog
by Michael Hingson and Larry King and Susy FloryFaith. Trust. Triumph.
"I trust Roselle with my life, every day. She trusts me to direct her. And today is no different, except the stakes are higher." ?Michael Hingson
First came the boom?the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very core of the earth. Eerily, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the seventy-eighth floor of the World Trade Center's north tower, no alarms sounded, and no one had information about what had happened at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001?what should have been a normal workday for thousands of people. All that was known to the people inside was what they could see out the windows: smoke and fire and millions of pieces of burning paper and other debris falling through the air.
Blind since birth, Michael couldn't see a thing, but he could hear the sounds of shattering glass, falling debris, and terrified people flooding around him and his guide dog, Roselle. However, Roselle sat calmly beside him. In that moment, Michael chose to trust Roselle's judgment and not to panic. They are a team. Thunder Dog allows you entry into the isolated, fume-filled chamber of stairwell B to experience survival through the eyes of a blind man and his beloved guide dog. Live each moment from the second a Boeing 767 hits the north tower, to the harrowing stairwell escape, to dodging death a second time as both towers fold into the earth.
It's the 9/11 story that will forever change your spirit and your perspective. Thunder Dog illumiates Hingson's lifelong determination to achieve parity in a sighted world, and how the rare trust between a man and his guide dog can inspire an unshakable faith in each one of us.
Lights Out
by Travis FreemanWhen the lights go out - play harder. Travis Freeman plunged into a world of darkness at 12 years old. A rare occurrence of a routine illness stole his sight, leaving the small-town Kentucky boy's dreams of football and fun languishing on the sidelines. Having given his heart to Jesus merely a year before the illness, Travis knew one thing: God was still the light for his life. That life story is now the inspiration for a major motion picture, ""23 BLAST"" that hits theatres in October 2014.
From Homer to Helen Keller
by Richard Slayton FrenchFrom Homer to Helen Keller, Homer stands for the greatest achievement of the blind in the times antecedent to their systematic education. He stands for all those bards, many of them blind or blinded, creators of literature and makers of our language, who through ballads, always of great vigor and sometimes of surpassing beauty, have handed down to us the glorious traditions of far-off heroic times.
Miss Keller stands for the supreme achievement of education. The blind claim her, but the deaf can claim her, too, and modern education can claim her more than either--and all humanity claims her with the best claim of all. For she is the epitome of all that is best in humanity, all that is most spiritual; and all this through conscious aim and directed effort, through education in its best sense.
The Book of Memory
by Petina GappahThe story that you have asked me to tell you does not begin with the pitiful ugliness of Lloyd's death. It begins on a long-ago day in August when the sun seared my blistered face and I was nine years old and my father and mother sold me to a strange man.Memory, the narrator of Petina Gappah's The Book of Memory, is an albino woman languishing in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison in Harare, Zimbabwe, after being sentenced for murder. As part of her appeal, her lawyer insists that she write down what happened as she remembers it. The death penalty is a mandatory sentence for murder, and Memory is, both literally and metaphorically, writing for her life. As her story unfolds, Memory reveals that she has been tried and convicted for the murder of Lloyd Hendricks, her adopted father. But who was Lloyd Hendricks? Why does Memory feel no remorse for his death? And did everything happen exactly as she remembers?Moving between the townships of the poor and the suburbs of the rich, and between past and present, the 2009 Guardian First Book Award-winning writer Petina Gappah weaves a compelling tale of love, obsession, the relentlessness of fate, and the treachery of memory.
Organizing the Blind
by Roberto GarvíaThis book is a case study which narrates the history of the National Organization of the Spanish Blind (ONCE), established in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Contrary to other affluent countries where most blind people live on welfare benefits, the Spanish blind enjoy full employment. Furthermore, the average income of the Spanish blind is higher than that of the sighted. Why is this so? Why the blind, and not the deaf mute, or any other group of disabled people? This book shows that ONCE answers these questions.
The book explains ONCE'S origins, the shifting strategies that the organization has pursued to adapt to an ever-changing environment, its original goals and the way they have mutated and been interpreted, its conflicting relationship with an authoritarian regime, its struggle to find its place in a democratic regime, and its relations with other groups of disabled people. A historical narrative, the book lies at the intersection between disability and organization studies, history and sociology.
It will be of interest to all scholars of disability studies, the sociology of work, the history of medicine and contemporary Spanish history.
Unexampled Courage
by Richard Gergel*The book that inspired the 2021 PBS American Experience documentary, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.*How the blinding of Sergeant Isaac Woodard changed the course of America’s civil rights history.Richard Gergel’s Unexampled Courage details the impact of the blinding of Sergeant Woodard on the racial awakening of President Truman and Judge Waring, and traces their influential roles in changing the course of America’s civil rights history. On February 12, 1946, Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a returning, decorated African American veteran, was removed from a Greyhound bus in Batesburg, South Carolina, after he challenged the bus driver’s disrespectful treatment of him. Woodard, in uniform, was arrested by the local police chief, Lynwood Shull, and beaten and blinded while in custody.President Harry Truman was outraged by the incident. He established the first presidential commission on civil rights and his Justice Department filed criminal charges against Shull. In July 1948, following his commission’s recommendation, Truman ordered an end to segregation in the U.S. armed forces. An all-white South Carolina jury acquitted Shull, but the presiding judge, J. Waties Waring, was conscience-stricken by the failure of the court system to do justice by the soldier. Waring described the trial as his “baptism of fire,” and began issuing major civil rights decisions from his Charleston courtroom, including his 1951 dissent in Briggs v. Elliott declaring public school segregation per se unconstitutional. Three years later, the Supreme Court adopted Waring’s language and reasoning in Brown v. Board of Education.
If You Could See What I Hear
by Tom Sullivan and Derek L. GillThis memoir traces the life of Tom Sullivan from premature birth to age 26. Born blind from too much oxygen in his preemie incubator, he is alternately overprotected and set loose. His parents both encourage and hinder him. Mr Sullivan graduates from Perkins School for the Blind with many records, including most number of suspensions. He eventually graduates from Harvard, and pursues a life with music. He marries and has two children.
Moondog
by Robert Scotto and Philip GlassThe basis of a full-length documentary."Moondog is one of America's great originals."-Alan Rich, New York Magazine
Here is a revised edition of a book that celebrates one of the most improbable lives of the twentieth century: a blind and homeless man who became the most famous eccentric in New York and who, with enormous diligence, rose to prominence both in major label pop music recordings in addition to symphonic concerts of his compositions.
This edition of Moondog will soon be seen a as a feature documentary titled The Viking of 6th Avenue directed by Holly Elson and produced by Hard Working Movies.Born Louis Thomas Hardin in 1916, Moondog first made an impression in the late 1940s when he became a mascot of The New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. His unique, melodic compositions were released on the Prestige jazz label. In the late 1960s the Viking-garbed Moondog was a pop music sensation on Columbia Records.
Moondog's compositional style influenced his former roommate Philip Glass, whose preface appears in the book. Moondog's work transcends labels and redefines the distinction between popular and high culture.
A wide-ranging compilation of Moondog recordings, which includes four Madrigals played by Philip Glass, Steven Reich, Jon Gibson, and Moondog himself, are offered as free downloads for every purchaser of this biography.
Crooked Paths Made Straight
by Isabelle L. D. Grant and Deborah KentIn 1959, two years before she retired from teaching, Dr. Isabelle Grant set off on a yearlong journey around the world with Oscar, her long white cane, in her hand. She had been totally blind for the past twelve years.
In Crooked Paths Made Straight, she shares the story of her journey during which she visited twenty-three countries from Great Britain to Fiji. In Karachi, she traveled the streets by rickshaw and struggled to master the Urdu language. In India, she explored the Taj Mahal, and in Burma she slept in a room where lizards raced up and down the walls.
At a time when both women and blind people were generally seen as too helpless for solo travel, Grant fearlessly defied conventions. A dedicated teacher with a lifelong commitment to learning, her mission was to learn all she could about education in the countries she visited, in particular the education provided to blind children.
Completed in 1965, Crooked Paths Made Straight recounts Grant's journey, a story of dreams deferred that did not shrivel but sprang to life again and again.
Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes
by Michael GrayEvoking the turbulent past of the subject's time and place, this odyssey to rural Georgia peels back the many layers of Blind Willie McTell's compelling, occasionally shocking, but ultimately uplifting story.
Portraying him as one of the most gifted artists of his generation, this account uncovers the secrets of McTell's ancestry, the hardships he suffered--including being blind from birth--and the successes he enjoyed.
Traveling throughout the South and beyond, this personal and moving journey unearths a lost world of black music, exploring why he drifted in and out of the public eye, how he was "rediscovered" time and again through chance meetings, and why, until now, so little has been written about the life of this extraordinary man.
Part biography, part travelogue, part social history, this atmospheric, unforgettable tale connects the subject's life to the tumultuous sweep of history, exploding every stereotype about blues musicians and revealing a vulnerable milieu of poverty and discrimination, demonstrating that little may have changed in the Deep South, even today.
Blindness
by Daniel Mendelsohn and Henry GreenHenry Green's first novel, and the book that began his career as a master of British modernism.
Blindness—Henry Green’s first novel, begun while he was still at Eton and finished before he left university—is the story of John Haye, a young student with literary airs. It starts with an excerpt from his diary, brimming with excitement and affectation and curiosity about life and literature.
Then a freak accident robs John of his sight, plunging him into despair. Forced to live with his high-handed, horsey stepmother in the country, John begins a weird dalliance with a girl named Joan, leading to a new determination.
Blindness is the curse of youth and inexperience and love and ambition, but blindness, John will discover, can also be the source of vision.
Senses Vol.1
by Andrew GreySometimes the heart is the most important sense. Caring for a young daughter with cancer is almost enough to make Ken Brighton give up, in Love Comes Silently, but former singer and next-door neighbor Patrick Flaherty brings hope for both of them--if he can manage to break his silence. In Love Comes in Darkness, Howard Justinian has always had to fight for his independence, in spite of his blindness, but when tragedy strikes, he may have to accept help in the form of unassuming Gordy Jarrett. In Love Comes Home, Greg Hampton's son Davey is losing his eyesight, but Tom Spangler isn't going to let that stop a boy from playing his favorite game.See excerpt for individual blurbs.
Scattered Shadows
by John Howard GriffinThis extraordinary chronicle from the author of "Black Like Me" about his loss of sight is a powerful testament to the human spirit. Edited and introduced by Robert Bonazzi
Blind but Now I See
by Kent GustavsonFrom the day Doc Watson stepped off the bus in New York City, the North Carolina music legend changed the world forever. His influence has been recognised by presidents and by the heroes of modern music. This is the first comprehensive biography of Doc Watson, with never before released details about the American guitar icons life.
This book includes new interviews with popular musicians: Ben Harper, Michelle Shocked, Warren Haynes, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Tom Paxton, Maria Muldaur, John Cohen, Mike Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Abigail Washburn, Ketch Secor, Marty Stuart, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Pat Donohue, Peter Rowan, Si Kahn, Tommy Emmanuel, Tony Trischka, Greg Brown, Guy Clark, Don Rigsby, David Grisman, Alice Gerrard, Alan O Bryant, Edgar Meyer, Guy Davis, Jack Lawrence, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, Jean Ritchie, Jerry Douglas, Jonathan Byrd, Larry Long, Paddy Moloney, and many more. . .
Soaring Into Greatness
by Gail HamiltonBorn ten weeks premature and requiring oxygen to survive, Gail Hamilton's first six weeks of life began within an incubator.
Six months later, doctors discovered that Gail had retrolental fibroplasia (RLF), an eye condition caused by the infusion of 100% pure oxygen. By age eleven, she was completely blind. Soaring into Greatness follows Gail's story as her outer visual world merged with her inner vision, forcing her to listen with her inner voice, to follow her heart and tune into her intuition.
Subjected to physical and emotional abuse, ostracized and oftentimes feeling alone, Gail's journey is one of the courage and perseverance it takes to find one's way through the darkness and soar.
"I believe my desire to fly must be bigger than my fear of falling. Vision is internal, not external, and is guided by my heart, not my eyes. In order to be free, to fly, I must want my dream, feel my dream, and believe that my dream will come true. Most importantly, I must live my dream. I am the creator of my destiny, the composer of my symphony, and I choose to live a life of greatness. " - Gail Hamilton
God, Money, and Politics
by Simon HayhoeHayhoe follows the British progression of the blind as immoral, to the need for rehabilitation, to questions of an educational nature.
The Journey to Independence
by Euclid HerieThe Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) has sought to improve the lives of generations of blind Canadians. Established in 1918, this philanthropic organization has guided blind people out of a time of poverty and abuse, bringing them the same rights and freedoms as all Canadians.
This book explores the history of the CNIB - from the men who crafted its charter to the people who have made it so successful. Millions of Canadians have been touched by the services it provides or by its message of hope. The CNIB has left a legacy in Canada’s legislative, judicial, and cultural fabric, and it is a history that must be told.
The Manual of Darkness
by Enrique De HerizThe world's best magician is going blind, but is there a story in his past that can save him? Victor Losa has spent his life studying magic. His mentor, Mario Galvan, taught him not only the practical aspects of the art, but also its history and the lives of famous Victorian magicians such as Hoffman, Maskelyne, and Cooke, and the most enigmatic historical figure of all, Peter Grouse, a pickpocket who decided to challenge the best magicians of the day. But suddenly things change for Victor Losa, just as he is proclaimed the world's best magician. A light appears in his eye, but this is no magic trick - he is diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition of the optical nerve. In short, he is rapidly going blind. As he loses his sight, Victor finds that there are new ways to conjure the world through stories of the past, present and future. And finally he learns the secret behind his mentor's teachings.
Friendship Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
by Lisa Verge HigginsTOP THREE REASONS TO VISIT EUROPE: 1. Explore foreign cultures2. Sample outstanding food3. Desperately flee impending personal crisisLenny left his wife, Monique, a bucket list of things they'd dreamed of doing together before cancer took his life. For four years, she ignored it, too busy raising their daughter to consider the painful task of resurrecting shattered dreams. But when her next-door neighbor, Judy, starts a slow slide into a personal crisis, and another friend, Becky, receives shocking news about her future, Monique realizes that Lenny's legacy could be a gift to three women in desperate need of a new perspective.Whisking her friends away on adventures from London to Paris, from Monaco to Milan, she is determined to follow the bucket list to the letter-until one eventful evening knocks the three friends off the beaten path. Caught up in adventures of their own making, they begin to understand: Sometimes getting lost is the only way to find what you're really looking for.
Second Sight
by Robert V. HineThe author talks about when he goes blind, the things that happen to him, and when he regains his sight
Trust the Dog
by Gerri HirsheyA groundbreaking look at the special bond between guide dogs and those who thrive with their help. From a pioneering guide dog organization comes the first book to explore one of the most profound and inspiring relationships between humans and animals. In Trust the Dog, the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation introduces readers to a group of extraordinary people who, thanks to their guide dogs, flourish in a world that assumes the ability to see. Among them are a brother and sister who lost their sight at a very young age and whose dogs essentially helped them grow up, a Serbian girl who fled civil war to find new hope in America, and a newly blind single father determined to keep his family together against all odds. Through their experiences we discover the astonishing teamwork and devotion between people who are blind and their guide dogs, the intelligence and discipline that these animals unfailingly display, and the noble work of the nonprofit organization that for fifty years has been making it all possible. A heartwarming tribute to this unique relationship, Trust the Dog is sure to change how we think about man's best friend, and the possibilities of life without sight.
Emma and I
by Sheila HockenA touching and unique story of love and courage. This is Sheila Hocken's own story. A story of a young blind girl who sets out to fight for the right to live fully and to see again. Sheila's account of the events and people that transformed her life is moving and inspiring. Sheila introduces Emma, her beautiful chocolate-brown labrador, whose devotion and intelligence as a guide dog are inspiring. We also meet Don, who brings romance into Sheila's life - through a radio program! And we meet Mr Shearing, the skilled surgeon who performs the miracle which gives Sheila a whole new world.
Blackmoor
by Edward HoganBeth is an albino, half blind, and given to looking at the world out of the corner of her eye. Her neighbours in the Derbyshire town of Blackmoor have always thought she was 'touched', and when a series of bizarre happenings shake the very foundations of the village, they are confirmed in their opinion that Beth is an ill omen. The neighbours say that Beth eats dirt from the flowerbeds, and that smoke rises from her lawn. By the end of the year, she is dead. A decade later her son, Vincent, treated like a bad omen by his father George is living in a pleasant suburb miles from Blackmoor. There the bird-watching teenager stumbles towards the buried secrets of his mother's life and death in the abandoned village. It's the story of a community that fell apart, a young woman whose face didn't fit, and a past that refuses to go away.
Fictions of Affliction
by Martha Stoddard Holmes"Highly recommended . . . Holmes moves seamlessly from novelists like Charles Dickens to sociologists like Henry Mayhew to autobiographers like John Kitto. " ---Choice "An absolutely stunning book that will make a significant contribution to both Victorian literary studies and disability studies. " ---Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Emory University "Establishes that Victorian melodrama informs many of our contemporary notions of disability . . . We have inherited from the Victorians not pandemic disability, but rather the complex of sympathy and fear. " ---Victorian Studies Tiny Tim, Clym Yeobright, Long John Silver---what underlies nineteenth-century British literature's fixation with disability? Melodramatic representations of disability pervaded not only novels, but also doctors' treatises on blindness, educators' arguments for "special" education, and even the writing of disabled people themselves. Drawing on extensive primary research, Martha Stoddard Holmes introduces readers to popular literary and dramatic works that explored culturally risky questions like "can disabled men work?" and "should disabled women have babies?" and makes connections between literary plots and medical, social, and educational debates of the day. Martha Stoddard Holmes is Associate Professor of Literature and Writing Studies at California State University, San Marcos.