Danny's People

Society disables us more than autism ever could

‘My brain’s still fizzing, my heart’s still sore and I’m already re-reading’ Sally Phillips

Virginia’s son Danny has a way of lighting up a room. He’s warm, personable and has an infectious laugh. He forms lasting relationships and has known his best friend since they were little. He is also nonverbal and autistic, and requires round-the-clock care and a liquid diet. And for this reason, there are many who would rather not encounter Danny.

Challenging the view that autism is something that needs to be ‘cured’, Virginia Bovell testifies to the extraordinary care Danny has received for over 30 years and the everyday kindness and decency of the people – ‘the band of angels’ – that surround him. She asks us to consider what makes a thriving individual versus an inadequate one; what it means to be ill versus what it means to not to conform; what roles society values and rewards; and how humans might flourish outside of failing political and economic systems.

‘An inspiring testament and a celebration of neurodiversity.’ Manni Coe, author of Brother. Do. You. Love. Me

Author Biography

Dr Virginia Bovell OBE is the mother of Danny, thirty, who has a diagnosis of autism and severe learning disabilities. A former trustee of the National Autistic Society, she was also one of the founding parents of TreeHouse school and its UK umbrella charity Ambitious about Autism. She has since written and spoken about autism and ethics, for which she received a doctorate in 2015.