Someone Like That: Life Stories

Koos A. de Beer is an ESL instructor in Vancouver, B.C.

Someone Like That comprises the life stories of six developmentally
disabled individuals. Each story is woven together with facts and
impressions from family, friends, home-support staff, and, of course,
the individual being profiled. Each of these individuals has made the
journey from dependency to assisted independence. Some have come from
supportive families, while others have suffered abuses at institutions
(e.g., Alberta’s Michener Centre). The stories explore the trials and
tribulations, but also the joys and triumphs, these individuals have
experienced; in so doing, they provide us with a full picture of what it
means to live with a developmental disability.

Curtis Gillespie’s first book, The Progress of an Object in Motion
(1997), won the Writer’s Union of Canada’s Danuta Gleed prize. He
has worked in human services in a variety of settings.