In 2005 Kylie Lewis and her aunt Catherine McNamara edited and published the manuscript for Touching the Corners, the autobiography of Kylie’s uncle, Rob McNamara AM, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of six. For most of his life, he used a wheelchair to get around and an iron lung to help him breathe. This didn’t stop Rob from living an extraordinary ordinary life. He studied, worked, got married, had a child and was a political activist for the rights of people with a disability. He was never solely defined by his disability.
Rob writes openly about taking drugs, falling in love and having sex. This book is entertaining, funny, and painful at times. It confronts society’s assumptions about how people with disabilities should live.
This book is about ‘belonging’ – being part of the community. This is the key to people with a disability being able to live as they choose. The story of Rob McNamara’s life shows how possible it is.
Kylie Lewis 