Patricia Muñoz, or "Pat" as the community knows her, is a Latina leading change in El Paso's disability community. She is a visionary, a revolutionary and can be found behind many changes occurring in this historic town.
  
When her son Tony, now 23, was diagnosed with a mental disability and cerebral palsy she didn't know what to think. She was only 18 years old at the time, and upon her own admission, very naïve about what having "slight brain damage" would mean for her son's future. As she recalls, "I just said okay. I had no idea what the future would be or what exactly I was dealing with."  But deal with it she has.
 
Dual challenge: educating herself and the family
From the beginning, one of the more difficult tasks was educating her family. She knew her son had potential and that he could do things with assistance. "I was not only having to deal with my son's disability but also with the family's perception of the "unknown" and how to deal with it."  She goes on to say, "I think it's something in the Hispanic culture. All they wanted to do was nurture. Which isn't such a bad thing, but they undid all the independence I worked on for him." She recalls what her then mother-in-law, who provided childcare for her children, would say about Tony, "Pobrecito, esta malito" (poor thing, he's sick). When Pat would return home from work, Tony would be in a diaper, drinking from a bottle after she had worked on potty training and weaning him from a bottle.
 
Pat recommends that parents get involved as soon as they can. Her own saving grace was joining a local support group where she met other moms who where going through the same things she was. "I realized I wasn't alone and there were others who had it worse than I did. I started getting involved and just learning what was out there."
  
Pat doesn't remember when she started advocating for her son, but believes she was a late bloomer. A turning point for her was Tony's weekly physical therapy sessions. She recounts the sessions where Tony would not cooperate with anyone; he would not let anyone touch him or get near him; he would scream at the top of his lungs. "I would end up doing the session with him while the physical therapist observed through a two-way mirror. I was determined to prove to the physical therapist that my son could do things as he would at home, but not at the center." She goes on to say, "I would get the impression from the physical therapist that all she thought of my son was "he's not manageable, won't learn, and the ‘he cant's' and at this point, I realized I was the one who had to be my son's eyes, ears, and voice in order to communicate my son's potential to others."
 
Becoming an advocate
It wasn't until 1991 when she became employed with the El Paso Mental Health and Mental Retardation agency (MHMR) where she is now executive assistant to the chief executive officer, that she began to see the need for advocacy. Pat had the opportunity to interact with families and individuals with mental disabilities. She likes to think of herself as a behind-the-scenes instigator. Her job allows her to provide a personal perspective behind the sometimes bureaucratic maze.
 
Recently Pat was instrumental in reorganizing the local chapter of the Arc, an organization that advocates on behalf of people with developmental disabilities, and is now president of the Arc del Paso in El Paso, Texas. Ten years ago the original chapter was dissolved by the state due to misuse of funds. As Pat retells the story, "They made a lot of people angry and owed a lot of people money as well."  

Recent accomplishments of The Arc del Paso
Pat decided to reorganize the chapter because there was no voice for people with mental and developmental disabilities. Her biggest accomplishment thus far with the chapter is being part of the Capitol Day advocacy efforts in Austin.

The Arc del Paso was able to send more than 20 El Paso representatives to participate in Capitol Day. Pat says, "Although the session had its challenges, advocates rose to the occasion and helped turn the tide for many issues regarding important bills for people with disabilities. As a result of our advocacy efforts, we were able to connect with legislative offices, promote awareness, and have our voices heard at the Capitol. I am proud to say that The Arc del Paso was part of this effort and, as a result, secured 5,000 waiver slots statewide in which approximately 200 will be allotted to El Pasoans on the Home Community-based Services (HCS) waiting list."
 
In addition to the local chapter, Pat serves on the state board of The Arc of Texas as secretary. She is involved with six other committees and councils helping to change the face of services and quality of life for people with disabilities. "Involvement is key—you have to build a network," she says. "Knowing others is vital to advocating for your loved one."