Dear Pete Schiff,

 My  family  has a weekday   night time tradition watching the  Daly Show  and  the  Colbere   Report.    Due to the   State of the  Union  Adress  it was not  on  when  I went down  stairs.
  So I was dishearten   when  I   saw the following clip .


    I  really  hated  the last  part.  It felt like  I  was being  punched  in the gut.    You  see  I am 22 years old  and  live  with a developmental disability.     I have  Cerebral  Palsy.

  No  I  do not have  a  intellectual  disability that is  the  proper  term  now  not  the  R  word .  Although  if you met  me    you might think that I do  because  I have a speech  impairment  and  drool  at  times.   But  it  still  hurts  what   Pete  said.     I do not  respect  him   enough to  use his  last  name.

      In  the spring of  2009   I had a school  meeting  at which  time  a  job  coach  sat  across the  table  from  me and my  mother and  recommend  that I    work at Safeway,  most likely  working  for  pennies a  hour, and live in   a group home.   He  had said this    despite the  fact that I was in my second semester of   Advanced  Placement    United States  History,  which  I  ended up   passing the AP  test  with  a three.    I was a junior at the time, so  when senior  year rolled around  I  was scared  of    leaving  high school.   Can  you  blame  me?    I did not  want  to  do it and I  assumed that  the  job coach was right because he  worked in the field and knew me.  Senior year   I  had to work   one of those jobs and I hated.  I  got a pay check   but was   unaware of the  low  wages.     To this day I am scared  of working a  entry  level  job.      Its not  fair .  I  want to  get   off  social  security,  you see that is where the money comes from   but its hardly enough to live off of.


        After   high school,   I  decided to  attend  a  community  college and  I  excelled in those classes. I  got  good  grades.  I  got so many that when  I   graduated  I was able to graduate with honors.   Thats  right a  person  who  was   predicted  to  work  for   pennies  a hour   went on to graduate with honors.   I am not  worthless.  I  attend   university  where  people   did not   respect    me and    am  currently on a leave of absence to  care of my health.


 The  world  is not set up for  people with disabilities.       Colleges  do not  know how  to  included  those with developmental  disabilities and  thanks  to the loophole in  the Fair  Employment Act    the jobs  that  societies  expect us to do barely  pay  us  anything.   Disabled  people have  feelings  and   we want   to  be include  in life.      We can  be  tax  payers,  some  people   may need help  paying  taxes but they  can  still  pay   them.  We  do not need   to be  dependent on the    government.


  Oh   and  our  founding  fathers   said  this  about  people.


   "  We  all  hold  these  truths to be self  eve dent that all  men  are created  equal."   Ring a  bell.   If not  look  in the Declaration  of  Independence and  maybe then you will  find a  heart

Able to go to College - Episode 14 : Bus Basics

  So this weeks  episode is all about taking the bus.    One  of the hardest things about     leaving high school for me was a fear of  taking the bus.  I thought I was not ready to  take pubic transit and  I was not  too trilled about  taking   para transit.   I eventually  got on the bus  and  have not looked back  sense.  At this time  I do not drive so  taking the bus  is my token to independence when  my parents or siblings are not home.


  Speaking  about tokens

             Around here there are a lot of  different options for paying  a fair.     You can pay  two  dollars a  trip, in cash or  coins.  You can use  a  token, which  you can see  in the video, or you could  use  a card that  acts like a  credit card.  I use  tokens  to   take the bus,  they are quick and  easy or  when   I can not find them  I  use dollars.



  Thanks   Ms. Parks
 

Thanks  to  Rosa  Parks     I can  sit anywhere on the bus.    That is  true  but for some  reason  the bus's  disability  seats,  which  i  sometimes  sit in but not always,   are in the front.  The first day of university   I met a guy with Spina Bifida  on  the bus who  just happend to be  a  big  Nintendo  fan.   We have  been  pals  ever  since







 got  images  from


  Tokens
http://nationalticket.com/siteimages/Tokens.jpg


   Rosa  Parks
http://www.okaloosa.k12.fl.us/djj/Technologykp/Blackhistoryweb/BlackHistory/rosa.jpg

Able to go to college : Episode 13 : An Earthly prize

       


 Talk about a  Jam   packed  week .    This week on  Able to go to college I   get   to go a out of class  lab for  biology and I  get  to receive my very own  smart pen,


         Back  in   January.  I  had  completed enough  units  to  get a Smart  Pen.  If you remember  from the best way to go to school.  You  may  remember that I  used a smart pen in college  but can not  take it home. All that  changes  now that I  am the owner of the Smart  Pen.


          I want to give a  huge shout out to the  people  at  my  school   they  have a wonderful   DSPS  program  complete with  consulars  staff  and assistive technology  ,     These  wonderful  indiviuals   value    educating those with disabilities .  They   believe in using  proper  accommodations ,  like   quiet  testing  spaces to  make  sure that  people with disabilities   can  use their abilities  and continue their  education.   Everyone is  supper friendly and understanding. They  believed me  and   helped me  believe in myself   .


        They  professors  who  are not in DSPs,   take  cues  from the DSPS people  and    most are  very  nice.     I  wish  my   JC   was an univeristy   because  then  I  would not have any  problems.

Able to go to college episode 12: Bee's Law

             I think its  pretty  funney   don't  you.  Anyway  guys  I am  on the last half   of  Able to go  to college  videos.    Check back  tomorrow for more videos.     Sorry  it has taken a long time  that was not my intention.  Tomorrow  is a  special  episode you do not want to miss.

Able to go to College Spring Break 2012

 That was a fun trip.  I have not seen  Coach  L   since then.   I hope   I  can  see  her soon.

Able to go to College : Episode Eleven : Health Fair

           



           


   So  I went to the  Animal Fair.   Ok  so not  really but  this week  their was a health fair at  my school,  it was  in  2012  I am still trying to catch up on  this web series.  These were   great events because you got to  get information  about health and  get prizes,  or in  this case  burritos one of my favorite foods .    I  enjoyed going to the health fair.


Come   Back  tomorrow  for  My  Spring Break   trip to San Diego 



   Preview it will  be slimy




 What does  that mean  you will have to come  back  on  Thursday to find out.

Everyone is Norm

   Hay guys  today  is the  relaunch of  the   I am  Norm  website  to celebrate the   re launch of the website.  I am delighted to be a part  of this  wonderful  organization.   I am  norm  is  a youth  run  inclusion campaign    I have been working with them  all four years  all online.  They  do not mind  that I have never flown  they  accept  me  and  include  me and  tell  me  that I  too     am  Norm.    I  feel so blessed to work with such caring  people. 


 To  see the  new  website  click here.

Able to go to College: Episode ten : The best way to go to school

     









Going to school with  my dog is the best way to go to school. I mean   Zoe is really cute   and  soft.  
  Anyway  about the smart  pen.

  The Smart Pen  is a  pen with a tiny recording device that allows people to tape record  what anyone is saying.  It is  a helpful tool for  people with  disabilities.     The best part is  if you do not  write everything down and  miss something you do not have to listen to  the whole thing over again.   The only drag  is    that  at this point  I could not  take the pen home because it  belong to the school.  To learn more about  the smart  pen  click  here.