How to be an advocate. Now is the time for people to come together as one, to not be afraid to speak up, and to make the world change.
As every President of the United States should say, we are a nation. People need to understand nobody has ever had a disability — leave the “dis” in the word ability out. That is a very unacceptable word. “Dis” does not and never will exist in life. God just gave us different abilities.
Different abilities is the new word replacing disabilities. In the famous words of Michael Jackson and Martin Luther King, we are the world and I have a dream.
People with different abilities, we have the power to make a difference. Even people in wheelchairs can still walk, we are just walking in different ways until God calls us home and we walk with Jesus.
I know it took me forever to be an advocate, but since God put my caretakers Mary and Eb Ramsey in my life, they have helped keep my spirits lifted and become an advocate, as well as my good friend at work with a heart of gold, Rosemary Conder.
This is my message to people, reminding you to be an advocate. “We are advocates” is my phrase from now on. Failure is not an option. Never give up. I have advocated for handicap accessibility all around my hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky.
Anyone reading this, I want you and your kids and parents and adults to be advocates, too. I feel it is important to be an advocate because it will make a difference and make your life spectacular and it will change the world for the better. I know I’m making my life spectacular and if you open up your heart and trust your heart, positive things shall come your way. We all need to lend a helping hand, and we all need more handicap accessibility around the United States of America, not just in Kentucky but in Washington, California, you name it.
We need more advocacy. All voices need to be heard now, not tomorrow, not a year from now. It needs to be done now.
My name is Joey Newton. I am 33 years old. I was born with cerebral palsy, but I am not ashamed. As I said before, I can walk but just in a different way. Even though I get around by driving a wheelchair, I still count that as walking.
So in closing, remember advocacy comes from the heart, from what’s inside of you. We are advocates. If anyone with a different ability is reading this, I hope this message will change people’s negativity starting today.
I have a nonverbal friend and he has a different ability, too. And before we got adult changing tables added in Owensboro, he would have to be placed on the floor to get changed or go home sooner than he or anybody else with a different ability wanted, and I am here to say we need adult changing tables all over the United States. I work in a place called the Opportunity Center of Owensboro for people with what I call different abilities. We are a wonderful place. Check us out at opportunitycenter.org.
Thank you, and remember we are advocates.
