New Purpose
When I started this blog I thought it would be a way to tell
Tad’s story without writing a book. I have learned from my experience and now
understand a blog does not lend itself to linear story-telling. I have now retired and enough time has passed
for me to relax, refresh, and rededicate myself to telling Tad’s story in a
book. The first step is to read ALL the source material which may take
considerable time. I will post some material to this blog so it can be available
to the public. I also plan on providing links to resources and other helpful
information when possible. Posts will continue to be irregular.
I want to thank anyone who has chosen to follow my blog or even just visited. You
have encouraged me no end. I have been talking about Tad all my life and it’s
amazing the number of people who just don’t “get it”, who don’t seem to
understand what an achievement it is for anyone to overcome deaf-blindness.
People who are deaf and blind are like Helen Keller in one thing only – their deaf-blindness.
There are as many ways of living with that disability as there are ways of
being “normal”. There were assumptions about what anyone who was disabled could
and could not do that persisted until they were challenged by other
pathfinders. For me, Tad’s story is important because he did not live his life
just like Helen Keller – he lived it like Tad Chapman. If you know someone who
is living with deaf-blindness I hope they also have the opportunity to find
their own path, their own normal.
