Spotlight on Americans with Disabilities - "Other-Wise-Abled" - Girard Plante

Every March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) and its partners collaborate to lead Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM). On July 26, 1990 President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. Each July is celebrated as Disability Pride Month in commemoration of the historic moment.

I hereby dedicate this show to the DDAM, and in July, Disability Pride Month. My Uncle was injured at the tender age of 14, via a bicycle accident when I was in a body cast from a tumor that was removed when I was young. For a brief time, I too was unable to walk, and learned how to walk a second time. Uncle Girard was a quadriplegic for most of his life. He never walked again! But, as he would tell you, he wat not DISABLED. He was otherly-Abled. He was empowered through the grace of God and a caring, tender "caretaker" family at 1142 Hilton Ave in the small City of Utica NY in a largely Italian neighborhood called East Utica. 

Girard earned the respect and love of the entire community, city and later moved to the Boston area where he continued to make waves. My Spotlight on Mental Health is evolvng to SpotLight on Disabilities, etc. Please join me as we celebrate disabilities, not shun them. 

Uncle Girard was truly NOT DISabled with a DISability. He was a genius, my uncle, father figure and amazing dude! The Lord blessed you with so many OTHERLY-Abled talents on that fateful day when you were injured. The priest did a wonderful job as did your neice, my sister Sheri and your sister, my aunt Therese, but the priest missed one thing. He said you will look back at your wheel chair and walk through the pearly gates. No sir, with all due respect Father, Uncle Girard will wheel himself through the pearly gates, just as he wheeled himself through college, life... His wheel chair still with him.