Guest Column: How I helped Redefine Normal from my experience

Written by Paul A. Nankivell, author of the book “Redefining Normal” that is now available in audio format and can be found on Audible.com.

One of my primary motivations in writing and publishing “Redefining Normal” was to relate my personal struggles and triumphs mainstreaming into the regular system.  Granted, there are many books penned by special education teachers and doctors that discuss the varying aspects of how to educate and raise a disabled child.  But, after perusing some of these “scholarly” works, I found their conclusions to be laden with conjecture.  Moreover, I had never come across another book which explored this issue from the point-of-view of a disabled person.  So, I sought to fill that void. 

But, I also know that a book needs a strong cover to quickly communicate its theme.  To that end, I desired a cover artist who could relate to the struggles of disability and therefore most accurately encapsulate my book’s message.  At the time, I met with the art team at UCPLA’s Washington Reid Gallery in Culver City to see if they could connect me with an artist who could share my vision.  Michael Crew was the artist they recommended. 

Mr. Crew’s sketches impressed me very much.  They perfectly conveyed the truth and pain and hope that course through my book.  In the end, I chose the sketch showing four able-bodied students blocking an entrance to a wheelchair-using student.  His cover seamlessly reflected my stories.  Later on, I visited an impressive Washington Reid Gallery opening and discovered that while I speak to the world through words, the Washington Reid artists speak a higher truth on their canvasses.

       Presently, I’m a member of two ZOOM groups: “Crip Chat” and “Crip Scribes.”  Crip Scribes is a group for writers with disabilities.  We motivate each other to write and seek paths to publication.

If you want to read my book, follow this link.

—

Paul Nankivell was born in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The difficult circumstances of his birth caused him to have a brain hemorrhage. Doctors deemed his prognosis so dire that they didn’t think he would survive the first few weeks of life. And, if he did, he would be in a permanent vegetative state. But, he overcame those odds. Now, although he has to use a motorized wheelchair, due to cerebral palsy–which in Paul’s case–causes severe balance and coordination issues, he’s well above average intellectually. At age 27, he proved the doctors wrong by earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University Northridge–(C.S.U.N.)–in 1991. His debut novel, Redefining Normal, is based on his experiences as one of the first physically challenged children to mainstream into “regular schools.” Today, Paul lives in Ventura County California where he’s actively participated in accessibility rights for physically challenged people.