Held Back by Nothing Means Never Saying Never follows the life of Steven Hendry, a boy born with cerebral palsy. It follows his journey from premature birth to the present day. Steven is not a hero. He is actually a mirror image of many persons living with a disability.
The book provides families of children with disabilities insight into the numerous setbacks their child may experience. It provides real-life, day-to-day situations experienced, and how they were resolved. Teachers and other professionals can use the book as a handy resource to develop an understanding of the struggles experienced at home by the child and the family. That insight can play a major role helping the child find their level of success in the classroom.
You will read how critical it is for families to encourage independence, confidence, an uncompromising desire to succeed and never allowing anyone determine who they are or what they can achieve.
The final chapter follows Steven's adult years, the arrival of his daughter, more medical hurdles, his education and employment history. The reader will find inspiration on how he never lost sight of his goal, no matter how challenging the situation appeared.
Held Back by Nothing Means Never Saying Never uncovers the opportunities as well as the roadblocks existing today that often prevent a person with a disability from pursuing a position that recognizes their skills, experience and education.
Despite government intervention through legislation and advocacy groups, there are still significant barriers to inclusion. Stereotyping, societal attitudes, subliminal bias and accessibility continue to prevent access to meaningful employment for an individual with a disability.
The good news is, Steven was able to overcome many of these barriers through his burning desire to find his own level of success. His uncompromising positive attitude to pursue his dream insured he would be held back by nothing and never saying never has given him the life he desired.
Held Back by Nothing Means Never Saying Never is not the end of the story......it is just the beginning!
