Interview.

This is my rough translation of the interview I gave to the Polish- American daily "Nowy Dziennik" that was published a week ago, by Elwira Blazewicz.

One day the editorial staff of “Nowy Dziennik” received a letter from a reader asking if we were interested in his unusual life story. I've contacted Mr. Rafał Strzałkowski, a young attorney living in Gainesville, Florida. This is his story.

I was born in Warsaw in 1979 as a premature child with Cerebral Palsy. My parents, my mother in particular did everything to make my life as normal as possible. My earliest childhood memories involve endless hours of physical rehabilitation. Nothing was easy or was just happened by itself. I've got used to the fact, that you need to try and try and do things repeatedly to achieve your set goals. I didn't know back then that all of this would give me advantage in the form of determination, certainty based on experience, that just because you don't succeed at first, it's no reason to give up your efforts. On the contrary, you need to dedicate more energy, attention and time to accomplishing your dream.

-What did your school years look like?

It didn't start without a hitch. My mother had to fight so I wouldn't end up in a special school with mentally challenged children. Unfortunately, even the school administration seemed to believe that people with Cerebral Palsy are not able able to develop intellectually as well as physically able individuals. With help from my parents and older brother I was able to finish school. The logistics that this required may be unimaginable to somebody who never experienced a disability. Anything from stairs, doors being too narrow to buses without ramps can be a huge obstacle. I had to constantly rely on my friends and family for assistance. I was schooled in Poland and partially in Hungary where I had greater opportunities to get rehabilitation. I used to speak Hungarian fluently as a child.

-Your brother studied computing, what made you choose your major?

I decided to pursue law at University of Warsaw because I wanted have a positive influence on the lives of others. I've always had an ear for languages and the ability to form and express ideas with ease.

You've must've been very proud after graduating.

Naturally. I've graduated summa cum laude. The feeling didn't last, because nobody was willing to hire me. I got depressed because everyone around me worked, was busy with their life and ware doing their own thing and for the first time I felt I had no perspectives for a future. I didn't want to always ask for for help and started living a life of a loner.

• How did you finally get back on your feet?
  Someone from my university helped me. She encouraged me to participate in a program of international exchange and cooperation that UW and University of Florida in Gainesville set up between themselves. It seemed like a crazy idea, I have never lived by myself before; even my brother who usually has a very positive attitude predicted I'd be back in three months. I decided to take on this challenge however because I wanted to live, work, be respected, for what I have accomplished and for who I am. Normal goals of a grown man. I wanted normality. I wanted for people to take me seriously.
• - How long have you lived in Gainesville?
• It's been seven years. After my program was done I decided to enroll in regular American law degree course of study and now I'm an attorney and I work at th e Jordan Klausner Foundation. It aims to help kids with neuromotor disabilities and their parents.
• I read that the Foundation was started by a father of a four year old boy who died from Cerebral Palsy complications.
• Yes, I respect and admire him. Doctor James Klausner aside from his work and research and as an educator in the field of physics actively runs the organization that has a school in Gainesville. It's our dream to expand our activities to other areas of the country.
• How do you deal with everyday hurdles?
• Originally I lived with a colleague from Poland. My previous apartment wasn't fit for my needs. My furniture not always accessible from the perspective of a wheelchair was literally attacking me. Recently I got a bigger, single apartment that I thrive in.
  
  
• What do you do besides work?.
• Gainesville is a lovely town full of cafes, I spend time with friends and move about town often and freely.
  
  
• What would you say to people in Poland with your condition?
  Working on yourself, both physically and intellectually is the most important thing. Nothing ever happens by itself, you need hard work and persistence. I would love for our cause to reach Poland and I'm willing to share my experiences and knowledge with anybody who's interested. You can friend me on Facebook and read my “Lawyer on wheels” blog.
  
  
• Thank you on behalf of our readers for an interesting conversation and see you in Gainesville!
• I wholeheartedly invite you to visit the foundation and the school on behalf of Dr. Klausner and myself.

With a little help from the community

It takes baby steps to get the word out. But it works. Whenever we get frustrated that the public, media don't care about opportunities for children with Cerebral Palsy like they should, spreading the message of Conductive Education like wildfire, a student, a friend or a person I recently met comes up and says that because they met me, because they heard about it they want to do something to help. That they never heard of cared about Peto and rehabilitation before, never stoped to think if it's mental or physical but now they do. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right. To have people feel passionate about a cause they never knew existed, isn't it a great accomplishment? Because it's as simple as helping the children that need our help. How can it not speak to people once we set aside all the complicated terminology, divisions and definitions. A good friend of mine decided to have a community yard sale for our school  in her neighborhood. Sure, it's not going to be a sale of the century, but it's important to her. And it's important to us because of her dedication. It will not get us millions of dollars but it's inspiring to want to do something good, to work hard towards something good. She doesn't have children with disability she has no deeply rooted reason to want to do this. But she is very driven and compassionate and she's a friend. She's making her own flyers and posters to the best of her abilities and hopefully others will become inspired as well. Because when you read up on it it is a very moving cause. And we need more awareness. And that has kind of been the point all along. To have the community come out and support this small Gainesville school for kids with Cerebral Palsy.

[Polish]] Niepełnosprawność w Polsce LIST OTWARTY

Z zaniepokojeniem przeczytałem niedawny artykuł "Gazety Wyborczej" o kobiecie z porażeniem  mózgowym, która wciąż stara się zawrzeć związek małżeński, polski sąd zaś skierował ją na badania psychiatryczne. Sam mam ten sam rodzaj niepełnosprawności i poruszam się na wózku
inwalidzkim. Mam też trzy tytuły naukowe w dziedzinie prawa (polskiego magistra, LLM i JD) i praktykuje jako adwokat na Florydzie (Po studiach 7 lat temu wyjechałem kształcić się dalej w USA i tu
zostałem).  Porażenie mózgowe wpływa jedynie na zdolności fizyczne, nie zaś intelektualne dotkniętej osoby.

Jest dla mnie szokujące, że wymiar sprawiedliwości nie jest w stanie odróżnić tego schorzenia od
upośledzenia umysłowego. Adwokaci czy sędziowie z racji pełnionych funkcji powinni moc szczycić elementarną wiedzą ogólną w tematach, które dotykają ich zawodu. Niestety od wielu lat istnieje tendencja wrzucania w Polsce wszystkich dzieci specjalnej troski a gdy dorosną- osób dorosłych z niepełnosprawnością do jednego worka. Rzadko się o nich... o nas myśli i mówi w kategoriach pełnoprawnych obywateli, którymi przecież wszyscy jesteśmy. Dziwi mnie tez ton artykułu. Zawarcie małżeństwa to nie kwestia "serca", to prawo  kobiety i mężczyzny (w przyszłości mam nnadzieję, nie tylko) spełniających wymogi ustawowe. Chciałbym, żeby  tak jak w Ameryce zaczęło być traktowane jako prawo fundamentalne, nie zaś rzecz uznaniowa jakiegokolwiek urzędnika. Dlatego właśnie wyjechałem z Polski i nigdy nie wrócę- to państwo nie stwarzało mi perspektyw samodzielnego życia, nie gwarantuje nawet szacunku władzy. Jak żyć?

 Praktykuję na Florydzie, gdzie po 4 latach dodatkowej nauki zostałem adwokatem i pomagam niepełnosprawnym dzieciom. Chciałem moc to robić w Polsce- jeszcze na studiach założyliśmy fundację "Aktywne życie". Tu, schody i schodki, autobusy i tramwaje nie są problemem. Pamiętam jaką
mordęgą była próba dostania się do Sądu Warszawskiego.  W Polsce pokutuje tez myślenie, ze osoby niepełnosprawne nadają się do klejenia lalek i składania długopisów. Skończyłem studia z wyróżnieniem a nie moglem nawet odebrać osobiście nagrody od jednej z kancelarii bo była na półpiętrze. Tak jest ze wszystkim. Od dzieciństwa szkoły, muzea, galerie, później wybory- wymagały od mojego ojca noszenia mnie po schodach. Paratranzyt TUS i nowe budownictwo prawie daje mi swobodę.
Ale "prawie" robi wielką różnicę. Chciałbym aby ktoś wreszcie rozpoczął kompetentny dialog na temat
niepełnosprawności- ale nie w kategoriach płacenia renty i siedzenia w domu ale samodzielności i normalnego życia. Życie w Ameryce pokazało mi jak naprawdę niewiele potrzeba, żeby zaczą. Ilekroć odwiedzam Polskę tym bardziej utwierdzam się w słuszności swego wyboru. Ogromnym
osiągnięciem Ameryki było Americans with Disabilities Act, również  w wymiarze psychologicznym. Kompleksowa regulacja spraw niepełnosprawności w jednej ustawie wysyła dużo bardziej czytelny
sygnał niż tysiąc nowelizacji rożnych dziedzin. Osiągnięciem ADA jest to, ze pewne rzeczy to teraz wymagany standard i nie ma, ze drogo czy trudno. Nie mam wpływu na to co myśli o mnie przechodzień na ulicy ale wiem, że każdy autobus ma podjazd lub podnośnik, katy i procedury są ściśle regulowane. Stare autobusy musiały zostać przebudowane. W Tampie zamiast modyfikować tramwaje na przystankach wybudowano betonowe rampy- podjazdy na wysokość drzwi. Jak trzeba to można.
Udogodnienia na egzaminach są regulowane; Nie otworzy się  biznesu bez odpowiednich podjazdów i toalet. Mało tego, na Florydzie nie można mieć sceny bez podjazdu. I nie ma tłumaczeń, że ludzie na wózkach tu nie chodzą. Nie ma dyskusji, mogą za karę  zamknąć interes. Przede
wszystkim jednak trzeba zacząć o tym mówić. I mówić i mówić. W Polsce? Zawsze za drogo, zawsze brak środków, a rzeczywistość zmienia się za wolno. Nie stać mnie było na kolejne 20 lat czekania na
ten nowy lepszy świat bo władza ma inne wydatki. Przede wszystkim jednak musimy wyzbyć się tej dziwnej maniery urzędniczej która każe wierzyć że ludzie są dla Państwa  a przecież to  Państwo (i prawo)
jest dla ludzi.
 Rafał Strzałkowski, Esq, LLM, JD
Gainesville, Floryda USA

Facebook: http;//www.facebook.com/rstrzal
Twitter: LawyerOnWheels
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Marry you.

Who knew that the next offensive  Cerebral Palsy related story would come from my native Poland? I've spent the last few days writing open letters to the media back home, asking my family to get involved and reaching out to politicians I've met ages ago. This is the exact reason I left, this is why I'm not coming back. A woman with Cerebral Palsy was denied by the officiant her right to marry. Because she wasn't speaking clearly and seemed nervous and tense he suspected she's unable to formed and communicate the required mental state to enter the union freely. The court wasn't sympathetic either. She was submitted to psychiatric evaluation which of course she passed, only after months of delay and humiliation. We can scream and we can shout and explain to people that Cerebral Palsy is not a form of mental retardation, that individuals with this condition are of normal if not in some cases above average intelligence. That it's often as if they are trapped within the prison of their own physicality, but they think and they will and they have free will that they often need to express in alternative means.  I have CP and I have three law degrees. I use a wheelchair but I also speak clearly and I have some control over my body and that is a blessing. I suspect the more severe the condition  the more humiliation the individual will be exposed to. Yes, people try to give me money on the street or bread from time to time but at least they see me as a person, they don't deny my  humanity. I suspect I should feel so lucky. And it feels I phrased it wrong. It's not about sympathy or having a heart. It's about a person right to marry that some cultures find fundumental. Nobody's doing her any favors and we shouldn't forget it. Everything is about perception it seems and I will fight those misconceptions anytime, anywhere. Because I was given a voice.

What's the difference?

People's perceptions and prejudices have no nationality. One question that you may have when reading my blog is if things in America get so bad and I get so offended when people offer me money or food thinking I'm homeless, how is it different from my life in Poland. I never claimed to have found paradise in the States. And  I have no control over what strangers on the street think of me, nor should I care. But regardless of how I'm perceived  by those whose opinion shouldn't matter I know that I don't have to worry about being able to get in and out of a building, finding wheelchair accessible restroom, stress what happens when I get to a theater, a store, a cinema, bar or opera. I know that if a bus goes somewhere I need to go, I will get there. And I can expect ramps, lifts and all the usual equipment. Things in America are standardized and you learn to expect them. That's the benefit of the ADA and its Florida counterpart that  is somewhat stricter. Some things are just required and nobody's doing me any favors. Most of the time, unless say a business was grandfathered in meaning it preexisted the legislation, those things will just be there. No excuses, no explaining that it's hard or it's not practical or that people in wheelchairs never go somewhere- it's the law. In Florida, you're even required to usually have ramps if you enact a stage and businesses can get in trouble with code enforcement if they do not. Doesn't matter that I'm not a performer. Buses have ramps- in Europe I would hear that there's simply no money to accommodate people in wheelchairs. In Gainesville even the old ones were remodeled to be ADA compliant. In Warsaw I was lucky to get a modern bus and even when I did the bus driver wouldn't get the ramp out and assist me. Here they are required to do so.  Taking those decisions out of the sphere of discretion  of of the owner or operator gives me a peace of mind. We all have things to do in our day without worrying how you're going to get there. It also increases your self confidence knowing that you can do things for yourself. People are the same everywhere you go, system solutions are not. Because I can alter my own reality if I'm given the right tools. If I can go places and function I can be productive, I can be useful. And I wish Poland gave me that opportunity, but it didn't, so I had to find it elsewhere. That's the difference.

Disability pride?

Back in 2000, I think, I was reading a website of a young man from the UK proclaiming pride of his Cerebral Palsy. I didn't understand it then and I don't understand it now. I'm well adjusted, I'm content about my life and I'm grateful for the functionality I have and I'm happy that I don't have a more advanced condition or something worse all together. But then again - "worse" seems to be just a matter of perspective and I'm sure plenty of people with other disabilities looking at me thinking "I'm glad I don't have that". Because as humans we all seem to adapt to the limits of our body, be it physical or senses impaired. I do think however that "Pride" as a word is very overused. To me, you can be proud of your accomplishments, of your roots and your history if they inspire you, but can you be "proud" of something that you didn't choose to be, something that just "is", that is not necessarily a very positive thing to be. It feels like the word we are often looking for really is "happy with oneself" or "unashamed", but I understand that after a history of being put down or brushed aside you are looking for a positive, re-enforcing, expression of something that is the exact opposite of that feeling, hence "pride". I do a lot of things differently, some things I have to do slower. Few things I can't do myself. It's not really all that fun.  But I'm used to it. This is my life and I like it. And I see how after people want to give me money when I come home at night or they pitty me for having CP although they don't know the first thing about me the impulse is to say "I'm proud of what I am". But while I'm not exactly proud of what I am, I'm proud of who I am. How my determination, my ambition, my wonderful loving family, my friends, my hard work drove me where I am today. If there's one thing I can say for myself is that I have an interesting story tell....

I think we all want to blend in and be normal, but sometimes life deals us different cards and we just have to play them....

UF Campaign for Charities has launched and we are 3029.

University of Florida kicked off another season of its Campaign for Charities giving us a good reason to regroup, rethink, re-coordinate our efforts so more and more people can hear about our work. I have great hopes for the outcome. If we push a little harder pieces will finally fall into place. UFCC is an initiative that allows the faculty and stuff to donate to their favorite charity right out of their payroll. The nonprofits are local and carefully selected. The UF employees often recruit their coworkers by putting together fun events to promote it, be it picnics, art or sports. Departments compete with each other to rank higher in a number of categories, a friendly rivalry for the greater good. JKF is of course one of the charities approved by the campaign. We will be contacting the school's stuff directly. James Klausner will be addressing his Engineering colleagues in a letter, while I'll be talking to the law faculty. It's not only about the money. We need to get the word out and let it spread. We are wasting resources if people don't hear about what we do now and what are our plans for the future. We also need excitement and a bit of a new start. We have to grow. My biggest fear is that if we fail we will never reach parents and kids with the message of hope as they will never experience Conductive Education and other forms of assistance they need. If we don't do something, if we don't break out, we'll never move forward and be stuck for years. For me of course it's not so much about Conductive Education anymore as I want us to help the disability community in many other areas as well. We hope that with a new website, a new logo and a local PR agency working with us we can finally become visible, and all that will hopefully come together within a few weeks. I also hope to have meetings and give speeches this season. I have no problems with talking about experiences with my disability if it's to help others. I'm energized because something is finally happening. If you work for UF our number is 3029. Please visit http://www.ufcc.ufl.edu/campaignmaterials.asp