Disabilities: Coping with Illness or Physical Disabilities
Essays by speakers with experiences coping with illness or physical disabilities.
Allman, Robert G., 1919-1994
Lawyer Robert Allman explains why losing his sight endowed him with an appreciation for life and how he learned to believe in himself and adapt and adjust to reality.
Bindt, Juliet
Teacher Juliet Bindt describes how she came to accept her extremely poor sight, learned how to live a busy and productive life as a blind individual, and determined to help other blind individuals do the same.
Boushall, Thomas C.
Businessman and banker Thomas Boushall describes how, despite diagnoses to the contrary, he survived both mastoiditis and tuberculosis, and developed the belief that his life was a gift to be used to serve God and others.
Coker, Elizabeth Boatwright
Novelist Elizabeth Coker describes how an accident left her face disfigured, and how the process of exerting extra effort in order to overcome her self-consciousness developed in her a love for people, a respect for tolerance, and a joy in laughter.
Earle, Edwin, 1904-1989
Edwin Earle recounts a lesson from a painting instructor at art school and the impact they had on him later in life when coping with his blindness and other adversity.
Keller, Helen, 1880-1968
With the help of her companion Polly Thomson, author and lecturer Helen Keller describes her faith in God, in immortality, and in her fellow human beings, as well as her confidence that social conditions are improving, despite the present sufferings of humanity.
McFeely, Richard H.
Teacher Richard McFeely describes how an attack of infantile paralysis (polio) shattered his dreams of a career in physical education, and how his mother’s encouragement helped him discover that life was worth living, even in misfortune.
Ralph, K. James
Jim Ralph, Comptroller of the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, describes his belief in the simple virtues he learned as a boy, and which have sustained him through the loss of a leg in WWI, supported his happy marriage, and become reaffirmed through his work with the Lakemont Academy preparatory school for boys.
Resnick, Rose
Educator and pianist Rose Resnick describes her experiences as a blind pianist trying to make a living and the depression she found herself in. At the suggestion of a friend she turned to prayer and describes the transformation this suggestion had on her life.
Richmond, Ralph
Ralph Richmond talks about his illness and the recovery that gave him a new, fresh perspective on his life.
Roy, Subodh Chandra, Dr.
Dr. Subodh Chandra Roy, Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research, describes how his life changed when he became blind at age seven, and states his belief that suffering can cause personal growth.