Welcome to my room, it's going to be quite the stay. The way the furniture is arranged may be out of whack but whatever. Take a seat and listen to what I have to say. Don't fall asleep since that wouldn't be polite. I have enough people in my life who don't want to hear me out but it is what it is. I have your attention though...
Thirty years ago, as a young man working at a facility for children with autism, Dale DiLeo was shown a tiny, hot, and smelly bedroom. Reserved for those least trusted by staff, this room was lockedfrom the outsideall night long. It was named after Raymond, the rooms perennial resident.Raymonds Room makes a compelling case that people with disabilities are still locked away from the rest of society. They may not be housed in rooms like Raymonds, but they are placed in facilities and programs run by a public monopoly unwilling to change. Using research, anecdotes, humor, and engaging stories, DiLeo takes aim at the billion-dollar disability industrial complex that segregates people with significant disabilities from mainstream life. Calling people with disabilities societys hidden citizens, he describes a system that prevents people from working and living in their communities, despite techniques and approaches that can help even those with the most serious challenges work and have a home of their own. For 230 pages, DiLeo describes the downsides to current practices in the field and then offers up proven alternatives to open Raymonds room.
After 20 years apart, the author reconnected with her severely handicapped brother when he became gravely ill. This is the story of her struggle to obtain humane treatment for Raymond after he was admitted to the hospital, and the lessons she learned from him. (Motivation)
Donna loved her uncle, Raymond, and wanted to be part of the activities surrounding his burial which entails humor, sadness, excitement, and mystery. The family had financial difficulties and could not give Raymond a proper burial. They rented a U-Haul to transport his body from Kentucky to South Carolina. The vehicle breaks down on the highway, and the casket slides out. Finally, after returning home and burying the body, a heavy rain washes the casket onto a main road causing havoc in the town.
Life on the Lower East Side was bustling. Immigrants from many European countries had come to make a better life for themselves and their families in the United States. But the wages they earned were so low that they could afford only the most basic accommodations—tenements. Unfortunately, there were few laws protecting the residents of tenements, and landlords took advantage of this by allowing the buildings to become cramped and squalid. There was little the tenants could do; their only other choice was the street. Though most immigrants struggled in these buildings, many overcame a difficult start and saw generations after them move on to better apartments, homes, and lives. Raymond Bial reveals the first, challenging step in this process as he leads us on a tour of the sights and sounds of the Lower East Side, guiding us through the dark hallways, staircases, and rooms of the tenements.
Presents aren’t the only thing that can get ripped apart at Christmas Explore the darker side of the festive season with these six short horror stories. 1. ‘Better Be Good’. A mother with an unruly son wonders whether she should tell Santa he’s been a naughty boy. 2. ‘Decorating the Tree’. A keen woman who’s very particular about her decorations notices something that shouldn’t be there. 3. ‘Lights for Company’. A cheating wife ends up paying a steep price for her infidelity. 4. ‘Meeting Santa Claus’. An alcoholic Santa struggles to stay in character on Christmas Eve. 5. ‘Presents for Raymond’. A family puts out a present for the unborn Raymond every year, but one year strange things start happening. 6. ‘Snowmen’. A loner with a passion for building snowmen wants to make one that will last forever. Christmas can be bloody awful. Some of the poor people in these short stories won’t be getting nice gifts. Instead, they’ll experience torture, trauma and maybe even death. If you’re looking for some horror stories themed to Christmas, you’re sure to enjoy Presents for Raymond. Buy now and see just how disastrous and horrific Christmas can be.