Gabriela Brimmer
Encyclopedia
Gabriela "Gaby" Brimmer a writer and activist for persons with disabilities, was born in Mexico
as a daughter of Austrian Jewish immigrants. Gaby was born with cerebral palsy
and since childhood learned to act in a world that has difficulty accepting diversity. Brimmer's nurse, Florencia Morales, was largely responsible for teaching her to communicate.
teacher was a poet who also persuaded her to write. That very same year she started to write poems. The first time her mother read one of her poems she was deeply moved, cried and asked her to keep them all so that a book could be published. Brimmer could only type on the typewriter
with a toe from her left foot, the only part of her body she could control. In 1971, she was accepted into the Social and Political Sciences department at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
as a Sociology
Major, but did not graduate.
Brimmer's life was chronicled in the film Gaby: A True Story
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
as a daughter of Austrian Jewish immigrants. Gaby was born with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
and since childhood learned to act in a world that has difficulty accepting diversity. Brimmer's nurse, Florencia Morales, was largely responsible for teaching her to communicate.
Education and early life
In 1955, she was enrolled into a rehabilitation center's elementary school where a teacher recognized her talent with words and recommended that she become a writer. In 1967, Brimmer entered a regular school. Her Language ArtsLanguage arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
teacher was a poet who also persuaded her to write. That very same year she started to write poems. The first time her mother read one of her poems she was deeply moved, cried and asked her to keep them all so that a book could be published. Brimmer could only type on the typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
with a toe from her left foot, the only part of her body she could control. In 1971, she was accepted into the Social and Political Sciences department at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
National Autonomous University of Mexico
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a university in Mexico. UNAM was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous...
as a Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
Major, but did not graduate.
Foundation Gabriela Brimmer
Gaby founded an organization of people with disabilities, known as Asociación para los Derechos de Personas con Alteraciones Motoras(ADEPAM) (In English - Association for the Rights of People with Motor Disabilities) and was an active participant in numerous other organizations. Brimmer worked for the full participation of people with disabilities and at the same time managed to write poetry. Brimmer was regarded as one who enjoyed a moving sensitivity and a strength that stemmed from the depths of her soul. Observers of her life commented that she did not think of herself as an "outstanding personality," even when people could not hide their astonishment in seeing her do the things she did. She used to say, "life makes me to do it." Her message to people with disabilities was to rethink their ways of living by forgetting the limits imposed by others.Brimmer's life was chronicled in the film Gaby: A True Story
Gaby: A True Story
Gaby: A True Story is a 1987 American-Mexican drama film directed by Luis Mandoki and written by Michael Love and Martín Salinas. It chronicles the life of Gabriela Brimmer, Mexican writer and disability rights activist.- Plot :...
.
See also
- Film: 'Gaby,' Story of Determination, New York Times, October 30, 1987