Bankstown author Alexander Xeras’ latest book to empower children with disabilities

When Alexander Xeras sits down to write he has two necessary tools: his brain and a bottle of water.

Vision impaired author Alexander Xeras has written a children's books following the adventures of a disabled boy. Photo: Tim Clapin.

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WHEN Alexander Xeras sits down to write he has two necessary tools: his brain and a bottle of water.

The first creates imaginative children’s stories, while the other helps the legally blind author maintain his voice to pen them.

Xeras, 39, used a clever combination of voice recognition software and visual aids to publish his first book, Tom’s Birthday Surprise.

“This book is special because we identified a gap in the market,” he said.

“Unfortunately when you have a disabled child, doctors and medical professionals, although they might have good intentions, the number one thing that comes out of their mouths is ‘I’m sorry Mr and Mrs Jones, your child has a disability and here’s a list of everything they won’t be able to do’.”

The book follows the story of a puppet boy named Tom, a wheelchair user.

The book draws on Xeras’ experience with cerebral palsy, which leaves him wheelchair bound, to tell the story of a puppet boy named Tom, a wheelchair user.

Xeras, from Bankstown, said he brainstormed the idea with his nephew 11 years ago to empower children and help others understand the day-to-day life of people with disabilities.

“I’d love it if a bunch of kids picked up ideas and wheeled with it, rolled with it so to speak, that’s the cool thing about it,” he said.

“My wheels don’t make me, they are a tool, what is me is what my parents taught me, what I’ve learnt and everything I’ve been through.

Xeras has brought his characters to life with real life puppets.

“It’s done to empower, it is done to inform, it is done to basically give hope because if I meet a kid that is in the corner, that doesn’t have any friends, I want to know why they are and bring them out.”

As a client of Vision Australia Telelink, Exeras said he had support from others in the blind and low vision community.

To help with the next book in the A World On Wheels series visit gofundme.com/World-on-Wheelz.