The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine 4th Issue | Page 18

Self Advocacy
My Way

My Life

I

have always been a
dreamer. When I became a social worker, I
did so because I wanted to make a difference. My
goal was to impact the lives
of differently-abled children;
I wanted each child that I
worked with to know that
they are not defined by what
they cannot do or some obscure medical term. I wanted
each child to know that they
are cherished and valued.
You see, I was born with Cerebral Palsy and walk with
crutches.

dream job. I now work at
Whitestone School for Child
Development, a CPSE preschool in Queens, NY. I have
always dreamed of working in
a preschool because I love children and I have always wanted
to use my disability to positively impact others.

“My
crutches
are a
gift.”

I can’t lie. Life can be hard
and there have certainly been
times I have literally been in
tears. I know what it’s like to be judged by others
and to have to overcome obstacles and stereotypes.
I have come to understand that the world is not
always fair. Despite my best efforts to blend in and
not be singled out for being different, people do
indeed judge and at times try to set limits to what
they think I can do. And now I’m going to admit
something totally crazy, something that may not
make sense to anyone at all… My disability, my
crutches are a gift.
I have a new job. I love, LOVE my job, it’s my
facebook

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I attended a CPSE preschool
and know that I am where I
am today, in part due to the
services and early intervention I received there. While
my memory of those days
are fuzzy, I remember I loved
it! I loved my teacher, Miss
Jody (Yes, I still remember
her name) and my therapists
were also great! I had a lot of
friends who were just like me and no one judged
me, made fun of me or left me out.
When I entered kindergarten, I attended Henry
Viscardi School; a school for the disabled founded
by Dr. Henry Viscardi, who also had a disability. I
remember seeing him in the hallways and hoping
to one day be like him and help others. As I got
older and truly understood how much he had done
to advance and advocate for the rights of people
with disabilities, the more convinced I became that
I wanted to be like him and leave a mark.
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