Age: 40
 Sex: male
 Degree of disability: mild
 Occupation: Clerk
 Location: (optional) Phila. PA

I try to educate people about the disabled by sharing with them how I became
disabled and my experiences. I want people to accept me for who I am. I have
more limitations than some people and less than others but all of us want and
deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. I do not want to be
categorized as a child or someone that is mentally ill or mentally retarded
because I may walk a little funny and have a speech defect. This is wrong but
many people are treated this way.  I would like to eliminate the barriers of
ignorance and intolerance as much as possible by communication and education.
I know there will always be some people that will not accept the disabled
because those people have closed minds. We cannot ignore these people because
they may influence other people to not accept people that are different

We, as individuals must try to educate people that have open minds and may
not have met a disabled person.  We need to reach the youth of the world by
letting them know some of us may not walk or walk a little different, may not
talk or talk with a speech defect but we are individuals that have a brain
and want to live the best lives we can

I want to thank the person that suggested this great idea.


Stephen Allman