"I was participating in an ADAPT Youth Training direct action protest in Chicago, with the aim of getting an inaccessible restaurant to install a ramp. I had made it clear to the organizers that I wasn't interested in the 'action' part of it. That is, I was going to be there, but I wasn't going to be holding a sign or chanting or yelling. I thought the restaurant manager might just give us a letter outlining their intent to install the ramp, and that would be that. But when the manager didn't even acknowledge us, I felt a knot of anger in my chest. I went from not wanting to be involved at all to being one of the first to block the restaurant door. That experience was a turning point in my involvement in activism for the rights of people with disabilities. I ended up getting a job as a Community Organizer with the Memphis Center for Independent Living. My job entails ensuring the civil and human rights of people with disabilities. In helping other people with disabilities become proud of who they are, I've been able to become proud of who I am in all aspects of my life, including my ethnicity and sexuality. As an Hispanic person with a disability, I have the opportunity of connecting other Hispanic people with disabilities to support and services that help them maintain their independence.
"This isn't going to be some kind of inspirational story, is it? Because I'm not interested in being anybody's inspiration. I was born with cerebral palsy and I'm in a wheelchair, but I'm comfortable with that. It's just part of who I am."
"This isn't going to be some kind of inspirational story, is it? Because I'm not interested in being anybody's inspiration. I was born with cerebral palsy and I'm in a wheelchair, but I'm comfortable with that. It's just part of who I am."
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