I met Erik Weihenmayer whilst in San Francisco and he has posted this lovely Facebook post about me;
“I met my friend Penny Melville-Brown presenting at LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco in 2018.
Penny was receiving the Holman Prize, a prestigious award that raises awareness about #blind achievement and annually funds three ambitious projects by three blind or #lowvision individuals.
Penny’s project was to cook around the world and commemorate her 19th century Royal Navy predecessor, fellow blind traveller, James Holman, for whom the award is named.
Now, Penny’s released a new book that tells her unique story about leaving the Royal Navy due to blindness, surviving a near-death car crash, her tour to cook across six continents, practical insights into living with disability, and decades of supporting other disabled people back to work.
Penny is a #NoBarriers force and her book is packed with lessons and authentic world recipes for everyone.
“My goal was to showcase the capabilities and achievements of disabled people world-wide [and] cooking was the perfect medium: It’s central to life for everyone, everywhere.”
Get “A Cook’s Tour: Baking Blind Goes Global” on Amazon and Kindle, visit Penny’s website www.pennymelvillebrown.com to learn more about her journey, speaking opportunities, recipes, and free #disability employment resources, and check out her YouTube channel, Baking Blind. Every day Penny is doing her Holman Prize justice, challenging and changing cultural misconceptions of what it means to be a blind person.
For those who want to learn more about the support services and volunteer opportunities offered by LightHouse, head to https://lighthouse-sf.org/.
Each year the non-profit impacts the lives of thousands dealing with blindness, deaf blindness, and changing vision – including white cane, braille, and assistive technology training; enrichment programs, camps, and counselling; and other services designed to maximize independence.”
Erik has a No Barriers Summit and adaptive hike coming up 25th-28th August in Estes Park, CO. It’s called What’s Your Everest and both are suitable for all abilities and ages. It promises to be a fantastic event.
The Summit and Hike Info and Registration Link is here: https://app.mobilecause.com/e/iijUCQ?vid=svnuw