Dorothy Paad Writes for Others to Reach Full Potential
The arts have a way of grabbing us like nothing else. Stories and their creative expression in many mediums and styles reach across the divide of age or experience. They bring relatable perspectives that can speak to many hearts. The golden ones inspire us.
Two publications are already growing in their reach and impact on the next generation. Dorothy Paad is the young, creative author of Dance Your Dance, Sing Your Song and Dorothy Is Moving Mountains. She loves creative outlets like theater, singing, dancing, and, yes, writing. She also happens to have Cerebral Palsy but that hasn’t kept her from dreaming and doing.
Despite “nay-sayers,” including several medical professionals, Dorothy has risen to every challenge. She has gone on to attend college at Northern Michigan University, receive MI-UCP (United Cerebral Palsy Association) Closing the Disability Divide Award, and become a published author. She also volunteers with Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Dorothy pursued her writing. She used her experiences, heart for others, and love of language to write children’s stories. Her aim is to inspire. In one of her videos she points out that growing up there weren’t many books featuring characters who use wheelchairs. She hopes to bring diverse representation and the inspiration she wished for as a child to future students.
Her books are filled with whimsical, sweet-styled illustrations from Matthew Forgrave. This makes them perfectly accessible for young children. Dorothy packs in heartful, relatable content. She sets the stage with cartoon animals but tells a very human story of struggles and triumphs. Both books draw from life experiences. Dance Your Dance, Sing Your Song, reflects on her early college years at NMU, while her adventures with adaptive skiing sparked her second book, Dorothy is Moving Mountains. Her stories include tender honesty for challenges. They promise to leave readers encouraged to pursue personal dreams.
Dorothy Paad is an Instructional Coach for the Northern Michigan University School of Education. Her investment in future teachers is helping to develop inclusive classrooms. Book her for a speaking engagement.
Dorothy actually very recently released a third book on October 18, 2023. It is entitled Dorothy is Teaching Teachers and delves into the true story of Dorothy’s experiences while becoming an Instructional Coach at NMU. She shares how alternative paths can lead to the achievement of dreams. Perhaps her journey will have paved the way for more dream-chasers to persevere and thrive wherever their own life ventures take them.
You can learn more about Dorothy and grab a copy of her books at depbooks.com. Don’t miss her insightful videos and journey slideshow. Visit her Facebook page.
Photos used with permission from Dorothy Paad.
