Narrating Stories of Elite Blind Athletes: A Study Honoring Learning With David Maines

Abstract

This chapter honors the opportunity I have had to learn with David Maines over the past 35 years. I connect my research on communication and disability, specifically among individuals who are blind and visually impaired, to Maines' discussion of narratives incorporating Rawlins' exploration of similarity and difference. I discuss narratives of disability as difference using three examples: A short story written by H. G. Wells; the American with Disabilities Act; and interviews conducted with elite blind goalball athletes. I conclude with 10 lessons learned about disability and difference including that the goal of my research is to help us all perceive disability as a difference that matters, but not as a difference that disables.

Citation

Jenks, E.B. (2023), "Narrating Stories of Elite Blind Athletes: A Study Honoring Learning With David Maines", Chen, S.-L.S. (Ed.) Festschrift in Honor of David R. Maines (Studies in Symbolic Interaction, Vol. 57), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0163-239620230000057007