We are pleased to share another exceptional publication joining the growing collection of accessible content developed by Łukasiewicz – AI. My Life with 4K Palsy by Anna Tomanek is now available as an audiobook on the Institute’s YouTube channel.
This book clearly stands out among publications devoted to disability-related topics. It does not describe disability from a distance or from the perspective of an observer. Instead, it is a story told from within — honest, personal, and free from simplifications. The author does not build her narrative solely around limitations, but around everyday life, agency, and the need to tell her own story in her own voice. It is precisely this authenticity that makes the publication so powerful and memorable.
The author of the book is Anna Tomanek — a sociologist, graduate of the University of Opole, and volunteer at the PARk Foundation. Despite significant physical limitations, she works daily on a computer and writes using her nose. My Life with 4K Palsy is her literary debut and, at the same time, an important contribution to the discussion on stereotypes surrounding disability. It is a story showing that a person is defined by their perspective, determination, and ability to speak about themselves in their own language.
The audiobook joins the collection of accessible publications created as part of the “Accessible Book” project and available on the Łukasiewicz – AI YouTube channel. This is a space where literature, knowledge, and culture become accessible to all audiences, regardless of barriers.
My Life with 4K Palsy holds a special place within this collection as an exceptionally personal and authentic publication, distinguished by the honesty of its narrative and its unique individual character.
At the same time, work is underway on a translation of the book into Polish Sign Language (PJM), making Anna Tomanek’s story accessible to an even wider audience. This is another step demonstrating that accessibility is not an addition to the initiative, but its foundation.
The publication and its accessible versions are being developed thanks to the cooperation of numerous partners and institutions. The project involves the author Anna Tomanek as well as institutes belonging to the Łukasiewicz Research Network, including the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute for Sustainable Technologies, responsible for publishing and printing the paper edition, and the Łukasiewicz – Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, responsible for preparing the audiobook and developing the Polish Sign Language version of the book. The project has also been supported by QEMETICA and the Integracja Foundation. The entire initiative is carried out as part of the project “STEM Method in Inclusive Education”, co-financed by the European Union.
Such initiatives clearly demonstrate that modern technologies and accessibility can work together to create a space where culture and knowledge become genuinely open to everyone — without exceptions and without barriers.
We encourage you to listen to the audiobook My Life with 4K Palsy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yTVZS8n0T8) and discover a story that resonates through its authenticity and a perspective rarely represented in literature. The publication will soon also be made available in a Polish Sign Language (PJM) version. We will certainly announce the premiere of the signed version as soon as it is ready.
