I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

It is not a question of patronizing philanthropy towards disabled people. They do not need the patronage of the non-disabled. It is not for them to adapt to the dominant and dominating world of the so-called non-disabled. It is for us to adapt our understanding of a common humanity; to learn of the richness of how human life is diverse; to recognize the presence of disability in our human midst as an enrichment of our diversity.

Although I am a gregarious person, I love solitude even more.

I want to sleep for eternity with a broad smile on my face. I want those who remain behind to say this man has done his duty.

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.

The death sentence is a barbaric act . . . It is a reflection of the animal instinct still in human beings.

I told my cellmates about the oppression of the whites and apartheid. I helped organize hunger strikes and the like in my prison.