by William Edwin Baxter, Author.
I have been a Presbyterian all my life, and I am an Ordained Deacon in the Presbyterian Church. A Presbytery is a geographical area much like a District in Toastmasters International. While I was living in Southern California, I served on a Presbytery Committee called “C.O.R. (Which stands for Committee on Representation).” C.O.R. no longer exists, but when it did, the committee consisted of on representative for each Special Population (Or Minority Group) within the Presbytery. These minority groups included: 1) African Americans, 2) Latinos, 3) Anglos, 4) East Asians, 5) Youth (Under Age 18 population), and 6) Special Needs (People with disabilities). Each of these minority groups within a Presbytery have different needs which bear discussion. I was asked to represent the Special Needs Group, and the Special Needs Population is what I wish to discuss here.
I am part of the Special Needs Population. On the day of my birth I came in at between 10 and 11 pounds. My mother was very small, and so I got stuck in childbirth. Now doctors didn’t do C-sections much back in 1954, and so the doctor delivering me grabbed a pair of forceps tongs and began to twist and pull me out into the world by force, which did considerable damage to my central nervous system and so I was born developmentally disabled. I also have Tourette’s Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder which I didn’t discover until later in life.
Of all of the special populations and minority groups I previously listed, the Special Needs Population is Number #1 on the list when it comes to Prejudice. My mother felt bad for what had happened to me at the time of my birth. She resolved to mainstream me in normal education and social settings rather than be with people with special needs and in Special Education Programs which did not go over well with the normal kids my age. They felt I didn’t belong with them, and they resented my being among them. I became a social outcast and was a constant victim of harassment and bullying. As I started growing into adulthood, and Christianity changed my life, the bullying began to subside more and more, but to this very day, I am still subjected to prejudice.That is why Self Advocacy is needed in the Special Needs Population.
When I first moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in August 2010, I was soon told that I was not welcome to be part of the Praise Singing Group a a church I started attending in which my Brother, Jeff was the pastor. The thing is, they made sure I knew that right away when I hit town, when I never even asked to join that group. My response to that was: “That’s fine. but I’m a Professional Singer, I can sing as good or better than the lot of them.” Of course, that didn’t go over all to well. Self Advocacy can be a force to reckon with, especially when it puts prejudice in its place. There are a lot of times I have been allowed to use my musical gifts in public. During those times, I was able to achieve enough experience in singing on a professional level that I was able to earn the status of being a Professional singer. However, there have been periods of time where I was not allowed to sing or use my gifts in public. This wasn’t because I wasn’t good, but because I have developmental disabilities and I am part of the Special Needs Population. To some people, for people who are part of the Special Needs Population, doing these kinds of things are inappropriate. That of course is prejudice and it’s WRONG. This is where Self Advocacy comes in.
Sometimes Self Advocacy is done through a person with disabilities speaking out for himself. But, what has worked for me in these situations is advocating through my actions and resilience. Just before I graduated High School, my advisor told me not to even bother going to college as I probably wouldn’t not make it very far. Instead I should pursue Vocational Rehab. I proved my advisor(s) wrong by my actions, instead speaking out for myself. I simply decided to go to college and in 1977, I received an AA Degree from Ohlone College in Fremont, California; and later in 1979, I received a Bachelor of Science Degree from California State University. I have spent a good part of my life not letting my disabilities and naysayers weigh me down, but I constantly tried go above and beyond my developmental disabilities and the naysayers by accomplishing great things–things which society does not expect people with Special Needs to accomplish. Through this came self advocacy through actions (Instead of words) and resilience such as graduating from college, developing musical gifts and singing, and becoming an accomplished Toastmaster Member. I earned my Distinguished Toastmaster Award (DTM – Toastmaster’s Highest Achievement Level) in the Winter of 1996. My quest for my DTM and achieving it did create some controversy among some Toastmasters Members, but again, I didn’t let that weigh me down, but continued to go “Above and beyond.” For the last several years I have inspired a lot of people though Self Advocating through my actions and resilience.
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I am available for public speaking and telling my stories.
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