Celebrating 50 Years of Joni Eareckson Tada’s Remarkable Autobiography
AGOURA HILLS, California, July 13, 2026 – It was a hot July day in 1967 when Joni Eareckson Tada took a fateful dive into shallow water in the Chesapeake Bay, breaking her neck on the bay’s sandy bottom. Seventeen-year-old Joni did not know then how her resulting quadriplegia—and God’s faithfulness in the midst of it—would become a testament to the power of the Gospel, upholding the dignity and worth of individuals living with disability worldwide.
This July marks 59 years since the accident that took Joni’s mobility. It also marks 50 years since her autobiography, Joni: An Unforgettable Story, was published. The book went on to sell five million copies in 38 languages. It also inspired Billy Graham’s production company to produce her book into a feature-length film.
Most importantly, Joni’s accident and the inspiring story of how her faith helped her come to terms with her diagnosis introduced the message of Jesus Christ’s redeeming love to millions more. Through the decades of evangelism and disability advocacy that followed, including Joni’s pivotal work helping to draft and pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, the international disability ministry that Joni founded called Joni and Friends has transformed the perception of people with disabilities worldwide.
Joni’s career has been an extension of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, serving as a reminder that Jesus spent His earthly ministry serving those with disabilities at a time when special needs were seen as a sign of condemnation.
The international nonprofit that bears Joni’s name was founded in 1979 to continue Christ’s ministry. Today, that work rolls on, covered with the biblical mandate found in Luke 14:21,23: “Go out quickly…and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame…so that my house will be full.”
Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. We work toward this by offering practical help hand-in-hand with Gospel hope. In this way, we seek to share God’s love in both word and deed, whether it is through free wheelchair distribution, disability-friendly retreats, or church training to assist congregations in becoming more welcoming places for believers of all abilities.
Far from slowing down, Joni’s work is accelerating as she marks 59 years in her wheelchair. Her autobiography is now available on Audible, introducing it to a new audience of listeners. Wheels for the World®, which restores donated wheelchairs and distributes them to low-resource countries around the globe, just custom-fit its 250,000th wheelchair to an 11-year-old girl in Thailand. And 100,000 families, couples, single parents and Veterans living with the daily demands of disability have found respite and spiritual refreshment through our Retreats & Getaways.
As more families than ever live with disability, Joni and Friends is still growing thanks to the generosity of donors around the world. Each gift given continues the ministry of Christ among disabled people. Each dollar means that a child receives a much-needed wheelchair, and a mother learns that her baby is created in God’s image. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is meant for all who will receive Him, and Joni and Friends ensures that every person we serve hears this Gospel truth.
“Our lives are worth nothing, except that we can be used by the Lord Jesus to get His Gospel out into the streets and the alleys and the highways and byways, so more people with disabilities will come into the kingdom of our wonderful Savior,” says Joni.
About Joni and Friends : For more than 45 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability across the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World, Retreats & Getaways, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts. To find out more, please visit www.joniandfriends.org.
Media Contact:
Amy Hurtado
[email protected]
818.575.1766
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Your monthly gift as a Luke 14 Friend will deliver ongoing Gospel hope and critical hands-on help to people living with disability around the world! This puts the call of Jesus from Luke 14 into action—to go out quickly, reach people who are isolated, forgotten, and rejected because of their disabilities, and bring them into the Father’s house.
