June 01, 2006 - Reflections Access Equals Choice Disability Capitol Action Day Sacramento, California June 01, 2006 Upon arriving in Sacramento, my nerves kicked in. It could have also have been the Starbucks that I had at the airport, but, for all I know-I was really nervous! We began at the Grand where I signed in. I needed the itinerary for the day, so that I knew, when exactly I would be speaking. There was one table that said, “VIP and Speakers”-okay, so I thought that was where I was to go. My name wasn’t on their list. They were snotty and told me to register at the regular table. Whoa, you mean I practiced and memorized this speech for nothing? It turned out that was only for speakers who were speaking during the Educational Forum. I found the organizer of the event, and she told me, “Don’t worry, you are right here, speaking to the assembly.” The Education Forum was, well, educational. We learned about important bills that we needed to vote on. Then, in solidarity, we took to the streets. Approximately 800 disabled citizens from all over California-blind, physically impaired, mentally ill-all marching to have our voices heard. The March to the Capitol was a little humorous. Because I was in front, I didn’t know how many people were behind me. The March took about 20 minutes for everyone to assemble in front of the steps of the Capitol. I actually took a short cut so that I could gage just how many people were there. As I sat on the steps of the Capitol, I was in awe. People in motorized wheelchairs were pulling people in manual wheelchairs, able bodied individuals were helping the seeing impaired, whose guide dogs were chasing the squirrels on the Capitol lawn. I was moved by the genuine concern of individuals helping one another. As the crowd assembled, Lilibeth from CALIF was our emcee. She got the crowd riled up. After, Donna, who is blind, sang “America the Beautiful” acapella. You could hear a pin drop as Donna sang and many legislators came out. Suddenly, there was a change in venue. I was to be the second speaker rather than the fourth speaker. My nerves kicked in even more. I got on the platform and began. The timekeeper kept on distracting me, and so, I kept losing my train of thought. Then, out of no where, I said, “We are not asking for special rights, we are asking for basic human rights; to be treated just like every other voting citizen.” The roar of the crowd was deafening. As I concluded my talk, Senator Liz Figueroa approached me. She embraced me and told me that I have a promising career in politics. After all of the speeches, we were all allowed to meet our legislators. I opted to mingle with the people who had come from all areas of California and who had different stories to share. At about 2:00, I did go into the Capitol and meet a few “big wigs.” I will not name them here, for the sake of being non-partisan. This is truly an experience that I will not soon forget. What will I remember from this trip? I know that after 10 years since my incident, this is what I was brought back to do. I know that even for just one day, I made a difference in the lives of hundreds of people. And finally, I returned with a more positive outlook on the future for the disabled community- I may not be able to change the world, but I sure can make every effort trying. ~Theresa May de Vera