Book description
Solitary Courage is the story of a mother's tough-love
determination, her severely disabled daughter's astonishing triumphs,
and a documentary record of the political battles, organizational
conflicts, and human struggles that citizens with disabilities face
and fight every day of their lives.
Mona Winberg became a pioneer of independent living, and emerged a
leading advocate for citizens with mental and physical disabilities.
Her courageous causes erupted from her deep reservoir of compassion
and concern. Her unflinching challenges to the status quo
expressed both optimism and realism about life and society. Her life
is testament to the power of Solitary Courage.
Between 1986 and 1999 she was the only newspaper columnist in North
America regularly writing about disability issues. Through her
award-winning column "Disabled Today" in Toronto's
Sunday Sun, Mona Winberg painstakingly built up a body of
work of more than 600 articles chronicling front-line battles for
equality. She was a realist, a wise person with a no-nonsense
approach, kindly, but clear-eyed.
Solitary Courage begins with the story of Mona Winberg's
life, followed by a representative selection of 156 of her columns
organized into 20 thematic chapters, the best of Mona in her own
words. The last part of the book reflects upon Mona Winberg's legacy
of lessons that still connect to programs and policies touching the
lives of Canadians with disabilities today.
The subjects are wide-ranging and engaging because Mona used
personal examples of individuals with disabilities and news-making
issues raised by their plight. She also reported on the street-level
outcomes of government policies. This variety and approach to
disability issues provides real education and genuine human interest,
whatever a reader's background or experience.
"Mona Winberg inspired me because of her attitude about life.
I wanted to be her friend."
-Jill Keenleyside,
former CBC publicist
Mona Winberg was born in Toronto with severe cerebral palsy.
Supported by her mother's tough love, she learned to communicate, got an
education, joined the workforce, enjoyed the dignity of ''independent
living'' with support from family and service providers, and became a
resilient public advocate for people with disabilities. She died on
January 19, 2009. J. Patrick Boyer is a former Member of Parliament and
the author of 20 books, including Just Trust Us, A Passion for Justice,
Direct Democracy in Canada, and The People's Mandate. He lives in
Muskoka and Toronto.
