It feels good to be able to say, “It’s finally October!”
Saying goodbye to unbearable heat and hello to pumpkin spiced everything is what I’ve been waiting for.
But this month brings so much more to celebrate than just Halloween.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a topic that I hold dear.
My stepbrother, Sean, is someone I look up to.
He is one of the most kind-hearted and optimistic people I’ve ever met. There isn’t a moment when he doesn’t have a smile on his face and isn’t making me smile, too.
When I was younger, I didn’t think of Sean as any different from me.
He was the only other person I knew who loved my mom’s spaghetti and meatballs and the movie “Lilo and Stitch” as much as I did.
We were inseparable; he wasn’t only my stepbrother but my best friend.
As I got a little older, it dawned on me that even though we had a lot in common, Sean was “different.” I don’t think anyone ever told me he had Down Syndrome. I kind of just pieced it together.
I realized that even though Sean and I were the same age, I was learning how to write in cursive and he still couldn’t write at all.
Even though I knew how to tie my own shoes, my parents were still buying Sean velcro sneakers.
When I started high school, the differences only seemed to become bigger.
The first time I went driving after I passed my road test, Sean was still sitting in the passenger seat.
When I was getting ready to leave home and start college, he was still learning how to read.
Just like any other person who has a family member with a disability, I was concerned for Sean’s future.
As I get older and think about my career path, I wonder about his, too.
I didn’t know if he would have the opportunity to have a job and support himself.
I wanted to see if there was a way to ensure that people like Sean would be given the same chances that I have.
Thankfully, many organizations like The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) are working hard to create a world where people with disabilities have unlimited job opportunities.
The ODEP is working hard to create a world where people with disabilities have equal job opportunities.
After working with Aspire of Western New York this summer, an organization that helps children and adults with disabilities learn how to live as independently as possible, he was able to apply for an internship at a local nursing home back in my hometown.
The internship required Sean to go through an interviewing process.
10 other people were up for the position.
I remember the first time I ever went to a job interview.
It was for Starbucks, and I bombed it.
I wasn’t surprised when Sean woke up the day of his first interview refusing to go.
After talking to him and explaining that all he had to do was answer a few questions and be himself, he was okay.
Two weeks later he was hired.
I can’t explain how proud I am of Sean and all of his accomplishments.
Everything that most people take for granted is a challenge to him, but he never fails to overcome them.
No matter what disability someone has, they should not be overlooked.
It is important to include them and give them the same possibilities as everyone else.
Try to use this month to acknowledge and embrace people who may be different from you.
We may have differences, but we are all more similar than expected.