A Person First: How I Found the Upside of Down. This item is unavailable.A Person First: How I Found the Upside of Down

In this inspiring memoir, David Egan tells his own story, authentically describing a life of maximizing his abilities, as he advocates for himself and for all other people with disabilities. This book is yet another first in a life that has seen many firsts, a life buoyed by an optimistic perspective that refuses to be limited by stereotypes and the low expectations of others. As he says in the introduction, "You see there is an upside to Down. It has made me look at the words 'abilities' and 'disabilities' in a very different way than most of the world. A better way. A more inclusive way. A smarter way. I use the word 'smarter' very deliberately because one of the biggest perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities is that we are not smart." You will be quickly disabused of this faulty notion as you read David's impressive story. He has worked for more than twenty years for prestigious companies; he sits on the boards of two important advocacy organizations; he has addressed thousands of people as an advocate for people with disabilities; and he has competed in the Special Olympics. In describing his personal challenges and goals, he also conveys valuable lessons that apply to all people: the importance of a supporting family and friends; the need for others to see him and other people with disabilities as persons first, not just as examples of a diagnosis; the power of inclusion in school settings and community activities; the encouraging role that sports can play; the need for society to focus on our shared humanity despite differences; how to allow yourself to dream and to imagine possibilities; and much more. Concluding with an action plan detailing how individuals can discover their own abilities and how society can nurture those abilities, this is a book of hope that will encourage everyone to make the most of their lives.

David Egan is a Community Relations Specialist for the Government Affairs Team at SourceAmerica. Previously, he worked for Booz Allen Hamilton for twenty years. He sits on the boards of the Arc of Northern Virginia and the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia and has been a board member of Special Olympics Virginia. He was the first person with an intellectual disability to be awarded a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy Fellowship, serving first in Congress with the Social Security subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee and then with the National Down Syndrome Society. A leader in the Special Olympics movement, in which he has competed in five sports, he was one of twelve worldwide Sargent Shriver International Global Messengers, serving as a spokesperson at the Summer International Games in Los Angeles, CA, and the Winter International Games in Austria. He has won many awards from the National Down Syndrome Society and the 2002 Virginia Special Olympics Hero's Award. Kathleen Egan is a retired professional whose career spanned a range of leadership positions in academia, government, and the private sector. Married and a parent of four adult children, she is an active advocate for people with intellectual disabilities at the local, national, and international levels.