Thunder Dog - Michael Hingson [84]
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Michael Hingson, national ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign, is a miraculous survivor of 9/11. He now owns The Michael Hingson Group, Inc., a consulting firm concerning inclusiveness and diversity and a platform for engaging speaking opportunities. A graduate of the University of California (Irvine) and a cum laude graduate with a master’s degree in physics, Hingson has never let blindness stop him from achieving his goals. His life is a testimony to the power of trust, perseverance, and the amazing bond between human and animals. Michael and his wife, Karen, live in the San Francisco Bay Area with three yellow lab guide dogs, Roselle (retired), Africa, and Fantasia, and one cat, Sherlock.
Susy Flory is the author or coauthor of four books, including So Long Status Quo, a memoir about nine women who changed the world. Her articles have appeared in Today’s Christian Woman, Enrichment Journal, Guideposts books, Kyria.com, and with Focus on the Family. With degrees from UCLA in English and psychology and a background that includes journalism, education, and communications, Susy loves to uncover stories with happy endings that inspire and challenge readers to a life of passion, boldness, and adventure. She grew up on the back of a quarter horse in northern California and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two children, and two dogs, Eli (a chocolate Lab) and Sprinkles, (a silky terrier).
THE
Roselle’s Dream
FOUNDATION
Equipping blind children and adults with the technology they need to live out their dreams.
Blind people today face a high-tech world. However, because the technology used to gain access to our world is often very expensive, blind people are sometimes excluded from the tools and technology that would enable them to live life to the fullest and to make their own contributions to society. That’s why, in honor of my guide dog, Roselle, and the courage, poise, and teamwork she displayed on September 11, 2001, I founded The Roselle’s Dream Foundation.
It’s our goal at the Foundation to help today’s blind children and adults not only to have access to the technology they need to excel in school and at work, but to live out their dreams. I have always wanted to do something to help more blind children get a proper education and have the tools to take with them into the future. I’ve also dreamed of helping blind adults get technology to do their jobs and live up to their potential. Through The Roselle’s Dream Foundation, I want to make the dreams of blind children and adults a reality.
To learn how you can help put much-needed technology in the hands of blind children and adults, please contact:
The Roselle’s Dream Foundation, Inc.
www.rosellesdream.org
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
The Real Story
ONE
Day of Thunder
TWO
1,463 Stairs
THREE
My Other Soul Mate
FOUR
Hearing the Coffee Table
FIVE
Kicked off the Bus
SIX
Driving in the Dark
SEVEN
Warriors with Guide Dogs
EIGHT
I Forgot You Are Blind
NINE
Running with Roselle
TEN
We Are Pretty Much Just Like You
ELEVEN
Woman on Wheels
TWELVE
A Brush and a Booda Bone
THIRTEEN
Shake Off the Dust
FOURTEEN
It’s All Worth It
Acknowledgments
Timeline for September 11, 2001
The Courtesy Rules for Blindness
Blindness: A Left-Handed Dissertation
Resources for Blindness
Notes
Glossary of Terms Related to Blindness
For Further Reading
About the Authors