". It happened in 1991 when his disability had progressed to the degree that he was no longer able to work. "How could he see himself as a valuable member of society if he could no longer work"? That was one question he asked himself before feelings of worthlessness took hold. He realized that would be his first step into the disability right movement. He started to ask himself about his earliest political beliefs specifically what he believed all people were entitled to -food, shelter, medical care, education, and equal treatment. He was on his way! Strangers have patted him on the head telling me how brave I am, as he sat minding his own business "you think you have problems"? To many of the people around him the real person has van vanished only to be replaced by a stereotype. "Has anyone ever told you that you would have to ride the freight elevator to the basement to use the bathroom in a public building? Ever get told you would have to go around the back door to come in or that there was no way at all you could get in? He no longer gets out much and is unable to go to work. What he realized after living with the hardships of having a disability is that people with disabilities can not stay silent. Paul encourages people to read about disability laws and the rights of people with disabilities. Paul writes "do you know what people with disabilities want"? Nothing special, nothing unusual. We want to be able to attend our neighborhood school, to use the public library, to go to the movies, to get on a city bus and go shopping downtown or to visit friends and family across town or across the country. We want to be able to get into our neighborhood polling place to vote with everyone else on election day. We want to be able to get married, to work so we can provide for our children. We want high quality, affordable medical care. We want to be seen as real people, as a part of society, not someone hiding...
