Author Karen Lazar offers a voice to those who are unable to speak out through her literary work Echoes
There are a billion ways to be a human. People with disabilities are no more or less human than their peers. A message that author Karen Lazar hopes to bring across in her second literary work, Echoes – a book of poetry and prose that portrays Karen’s journey as a person with a disability. While she doesn’t believe she speaks for everyone, Karen hopes that by sharing her personal experiences, she will offer a voice to the voiceless.
“I’m very fortunate to still have language. Many stroke survivors lose theirs,” she explains. Two decades ago, a 39-year-old Karen Lazar suffered a stroke after a 12-hour operation, which resulted in paralysis of the left side of her body. She now uses a wheelchair, but fortunately still has the ability to speak and write.
In fact, Karen is an English lecturer of professional literacies at several physical and virtual campuses in Johannesburg. She first explored her experience as a stroke survivor in her collection of creative non-fiction pieces titled Hemispheres: Inside a stroke.
Her second book offers an off-centre and seated view of the world. Echoes focuses on three parts. Cranial Echoes is all about the perception change that Karen experienced after her stroke. Joburg Echoes speaks about “the world from a seated position”.
As a wheelchair user, Karen is well versed in the accessibility challenges throughout Johannesburg. She remarks: “Sometimes I wonder if this is in fact still Johannesburg.” By exploring the challenges of navigating the city, Karen calls attention to the failures in accessibility.
The third section, Cyber Eches, is all about navigating the internet, including dating, as a person with a disability. Karen shares her personal experiences while delving deeper into sexuality and intimacy – a topic that she feels is taboo for many, but very important to discuss.
Through Echoes, Karen aim to highlight the humanity of people with disabilities and the challenges that they face on their journey to be viewed as a complete person with complex desires, needs and aspirations like everyone else. Something often missed by society.
She specifically hopes to reach medical practitioners who have a tendency to overlook the humanity of their patients in her opinion. Karen explains: “Patients are often objectified. I believe that testimonies and narratives help them understand the humanity of disability, the wholeness of a patient.”
She recalls her own experience. During rehabilitation, a physical therapist remarked to Karen that it must have been difficult to wake up as half a person. “I hope the book encourages doctors to listen,” Karen adds.
Readers are encouraged to imagine what it would be like to face similar struggles. As Karen notes: “That imaginative leap is so important in embracing disability rights.”
Delve into the world of people with disabilities for a better view of their perspective with Echoes, which is available in all good bookstores and online in e-book format.
