Currently the primary interest is to promote the book "Special Ed is Down the Hall, Disabled & Proud". This is poetry (biographical in nature) written by my son Marlin D. Thomas. He was a disability rights advocate and mentor who died October 20, 2005. After his death, I compiled his works.

Marlin was a mentor, activist, advocate, and passionate leader in the disability rights movement. He was a founding member of KASA (Kids As Self Advocates) an organization of teens and young adults with disabilities and also NDSU (National Disabled Student Union) a national, cross-disability student organization. He was an active member of CCDI (Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois) which established The Marlin Thomas CCDI Conference Scholarship to both honor Marlin's accomplishments as an advocate, as well as continue his work as a mentor by providing a fully expense paid trip to CCDI's Conference to a young person with a disability from the Alton area.  He was an active member of SILC (Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois) which established The Marlin Thomas Mentor of the Year Award that is presented at their annual Illinois Youth With Disabilities Leadership Summit. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit each of these organizations.

The book is available from the publisher, iUniverse, at: www.iuniverse.com/bookstore

and also at:     www.bn.com        www.amazon.com 

Please write your reviews also on the site that you purchased the book from. 

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Books also available at:

IMPACT Inc.  2735 E. Broadway  Alton, IL