Do I take this all for granted?

Sometimes I feel like I need to step back for a second and realize just what I’ve been afforded in this life, coming of age with both the IDEA/ADA firmly in place and with an incredibly supportive and resourceful family. From an early age, the disability community was my community – in small ways through involvement with the Moebius syndrome community and volunteer work at local disability organizations and in larger ways through my involvement with the California Youth Leadership Forum for students with disabilities and studying disability studies in school. It seems natural, even practical, to keep abreast of what’s happening in the disability community and what I can contribute to it.

I wonder about the disparity between prior generations and my generation, see as our contribution to the disability community. I think for me the local and personal connection I have as a person with a health impairment / disability to other people with disabilities is a strong driving force. It’s definitely not the only passion I have in my life, but I feel both driven and slightly obligated to give back to the community that I think has given me so much… history, pride and knowledge.