I used to wonder what would happen as independent living movement advocates age and the community must look to new advocates to take action in the future. But I'm not concerned. I have confidence in the youth of today. Especially in rising leaders like Zach who are leading the charge to advocate in the 21st century.

I met Zach at a major research university. He was volunteering to help improve advocacy skills for people with disabilities and speaking on behalf of youth with disabilities at rallies in Topeka, Kansas. He's from Kansas but is quickly becoming active at the national level. This 19-year-old with moderate Cerebral Palsy left me speechless after our first meeting. In subsequent discussions I was humbled by his accomplishments. If the phrase, "my future's so bright, I gotta wear shades" were written for any one person, this would be the guy.

Zach's facility with large crowds and ease at public speaking is impressive. In high school he wasn't that active in the disability community but participated in cross-country and debate. His debate experience was challenging as Zach was in a very competitive district and there was a lot of pressure to win. He is more grateful for the skills he gained than the trophies. Neither activity was adapted for Zach, since he indicated he didn't require accommodations. He qualified to receive accommodations but was concerned with leaving precious resources for adolescents with disabilities who needed them more than him. In addition to school sports Zach participated in the National Sports Alliance and has experience with the Special Olympics.

Zach also works part-time for his father's pharmacy. He does everything from clerking and answering phones to working the cash register. Zach has not yet used Vocational Rehabilitation services but realizes the service's value in securing resources for employment. He is not familiar with the disability service provision system but is committed to learning as much about it as he can.

Zach will be even busier since he joined the Kansas Youth Leadership Forum. The forum meets once a year at Washburn University to discuss issues related to disability law, disability history and assistive technology among other topics. Zach explained that the process to participate in the forum requires two essays and an interview with the Transition Council. To date no applicants have been rejected. Zach believes that is good because it means young leaders are getting exposure to information to make decisions.

Currently Zach is starting a Disabled Students Organization at his university and addressing the lack of accessibility to dormitories. He strongly believes the future of the disability movement should be to bring disabled and non-disabled people together to address issues related to change.

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