Community Spotlight: Michael K.
Today’s community spotlight features Michael K., who has been part of the Families CCAN community for about a year now. He participated in a grant-funded housing facilitation project, which he references in this post. Michael works with Abby, Families CCAN program director, about twice per month. They work on projects to increase Michael’s independence, safety, and connections in his home and community.
My name is Michael and I am 64 years old. I live in a house in Philadelphia, which I own. I live independently, by myself. I have a sister in Baltimore and a niece in Washington, D.C.
I enjoy learning about other places and seeing good things happening. My father took me on vacations when I was younger to learn about other people and other places. I enjoy talking to other people about their experiences and I’d like to travel to see more of the country someday.
Being born disabled, I have physical and developmental disabilities. I think people who were in special education classes, like me, have to go out there and work harder, because people don’t always believe in you. You have to go out and get training like I did. I have a roof over my head and I pay my bills. Sometimes people with disabilities have it worse, because some people think you can’t succeed. Most people with disabilities want to go out and work, like I did.
Sometimes I have trouble with comprehension. I have disabilities because I came into the world too soon. My mother and my doctor said that. But I’m good at taking care of my business and taking care of things around the house. I learn some things really quickly. Other things take me more time, but I work hard to make sure that I can do things the way that they should be done.
Even people who live on their own need help sometimes. Since September 2021, I have worked with Abby from Families CCAN. Abby comes to my house a couple of times per month and we work on different projects together.
Abby helped get me a cell phone through Safelink and I learned really quickly how to use it to make calls, text, and find information. I’m able to get information more easily. If I go out, I take my cell phone with me so that I can reach people if I need to. I can find other information, like about grocery stores and department stores and banks. Having a cell phone is important today, for things like calling 9-1-1 if you need to call 9-1-1 when you are not at home.
You can also use your cell phone to be more independent. You don’t have to wait for someone else to give you the information. You can use a cell phone to call a doctor’s office or a dentist, or maybe friends. You can learn about restaurants; what kind of food they have and what their hours are. You can use the phone when you need to find information, like if you want to go to the movies, or go skating, or go on vacation, or you want to get cement work done, or stairs fixed in the house, or a new bathroom door or bedroom door, or a new stove or refrigerator.
Knowing that I can use my phone to connect with people, to look up information, and to reach help in case of an emergency has made me feel more confident, safe, and independent in my home and community.
If I could talk to other people with disabilities who want to live independently, I would say that I think people with disabilities should live independently, because we can do it. We have to push much harder, but we can succeed. I like living independently because I can do things for myself. I can do whatever I want during the day and night. I can talk to friends and relatives on the phone whenever I want. I make my own schedule.
For my next steps, I want to do more advocacy work. I also want to do more traveling, and meet new people. I want to travel to different counties in Pennsylvania and also go to restaurants.
I think that the work I have done this year has helped me to be more independent and more confident. I like helping to give back. I can advocate for other people with disabilities by sharing my story. Maybe there are other people out there who are not sure whether they should live on their own, maybe by themselves, or maybe with a housemate. I would like to tell them that they can be successful with hard work and the right support.
We are so grateful to Michael for being a community spotlight Guest Blogger! Do you have a story that you would like to share on our blog? We’re always interested in featuring members of our community. Please be in touch with Abby Martucci for more details.
Are you, like Michael, interested in living more independently? Families CCAN can help you on your journey! Check out our offerings page to learn more about our group programs, such as our Peer-to-Peer Workshop. Or, if one-on-one assistance would be a better fit for you, check out our Family Navigation Service. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
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