Rob wrote his story between 1991 and 1993 while working as a consultant and being an active parent. He used a modified computer that was operated via a lever that he clicked with his tongue - and a program that scanned each letter of the alphabet. We estimate it took more than one million tongue clicks for Rob to write this book.
Originally the manuscript was photocopied and passed around family and friends. The 21st anniversary in 2005 of the establishment of DASSI seemed a fitting time to make Rob's story available to a wider audience.
We realised the manuscript would need editing to turn it into a book. We were fortunate to have as our editor one of Rob's former colleagues from the Equal Opportunity Office, Lynn Buchanan. With us 'standing in the shoes' of the author, we worked collaboratively to shorten and refine the text. It was a remarkably enjoyable and easy process. The final product is still very much Rob's work and we are sure he would be pleased with the result.
In part, Rob wrote the book as a thank you to his family and all those friends, teachers, work colleagues, health professionals and volunteers who shared his determination to live his life the way he wanted to.
Rob's messages about the importance of people with disabilities being able to live ordinary lives, resilience in the face of adversity, and the value of relationships with friends as a mutual support system are still as relevant today as when he wrote it. We hope others will enjoy reading it as much as we have.
Kylie Lewis, Cath McNamara
