"Rewriting the Myths, Redefining the Realities"
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My name is Todd Smith. I have had Cerebral Palsy since my birth in 1972. The doctors caring for me advised my parents to put me in a home and try again to start a family. Fortunately for me they did not listen to the doctors and they took me home. That was the first time my family experienced a “Negative Attitude” towards my disability. Since then I have had many mountains to climb. Getting through school was no easy task. Most of the schools at that time were not set up for accessibility. While in high school, some of my teachers told me to save my money and don’t bother with college. I decided not to take their advice and I enrolled at Community College of Denver to get the credits required in order to apply to Metro State. It took ten years, but on May 13, 2001 I earned a Bachelors of Arts in Speech Communication.
I have been speaking to groups since my senior year in high school and I have learned an important life lesson. “Never say Never!” My special ed. teacher in high school advised me “college wasn’t my cup of tea” and the high school football coach didn’t like the idea of me being their manager my junior year. Finally he gave me a chance. My positive attitude and my ability to communicate with the players proved that even with my disability I could still get the job done.
I speak on having a positive attitude, and not quitting when the odds are against you. If your organization could benefit from my experiences, you can either fax me at: 303-252-0264 or check out my web site at:
CPSPEAKER.COM.
Sylvia’s Secretarial Service, 390 South Harrison Street, Denver, CO 80209, phone: 303-399-9084 is available to help you with your typing/word processing needs. If you have forms that must be typed, correspondence that should be answered, please give me a call. I’m here Monday through Friday, 8:00 – 5:00. Thanks.
GovBenefits, a new government Web site that serves as a single, online information source for information on government benefits, was launched on April 29 by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of Management and Budget. The web site, which will assist people in determining what benefits they may be eligible for, is:
http://www.govbenefits.gov/GovBenefits/jsp/
State regulators launched a Web site and toll-free telephone number for Colorado residents who want to block unwanted sales calls and faxes from telemarketers.
Residents can log on to http://www.coloradonocall.com or call toll-free 1-888-249-9097 to put their numbers on the list. Registration requires a phone number and a ZIP code and takes less than one minute. There is no charge.
The Colorado Quarterly offers classified space to advertise jobs, availability for work, items for sale, and personals. For just $5.00 per issue, your ad will reach over 12,000 Colorado residents. Checks should be made out to Handicapped Media, Inc. and sent to the address below. Just write your ad and email or send it to:
HMI
2030 Floral Drive
Boulder CO 80304
MNess98@aol.com
copyright 2002 A&H Publishing Corporation