I am José Ocampo. I am 23 years old. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and because of that my parents have always been very protective of me. I got accustomed to receiving help from them all the time and even to letting them make decisions for me.

Recently I received an invitation to join a support group for young people with disabilities at Access Living. The first group meeting included a training about the rights of people with disabilities in the United States. They also gave me information about services available to people with disabilities, and different ways that people with disabilities lead independent, self-sufficient lives.

Not long after I joined the group, some of the staff members of Access Living invited me to North Carolina to participate in a conference about the rights of people with disabilities. The conference was three days long. I was scared to ask my parent’s permission because I didn’t know how they would react.

I spoke to my parents, convincing them to trust my judgment. They gave me permission to attend, allowing me the opportunity to learn to move on my own and feel what it is to be independent and responsible for making my own decisions.

Upon my return from North Carolina, I applied to receive transportation services from an accessible transportation company in Chicago. I was using the information I obtained about living independently by utilizing services. Having the ability to get around helped me get more involved in community events and allowed me to meet more people.

I landed a six-month employment skills training internship with Progress Center for Independent Living in Chicago. At this job, I helped the staff with computer data input, sending faxes, making copies, etc. In addition to my internship, I am now one of the central members of a support group for young men with disabilities. This allows me the opportunity to share all the great information I received in the course of my training with my peers.