Rodney Flowers (l) autographed his book “Get Up” before the formal presentation.
California, MD — The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is celebrating its 25th year in 2015. It’s also a landmark year for St. Mary’s County with the hiring of its first ever ADA coordinator. The milestones were marked with an anniversary celebration Friday, Sept. 19 sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Commission on Persons with Disabilities at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center
According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, “The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. In 1986, the National Council on Disability had recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, amended and signed by President George W. Bush with changes effective January 1, 2009.
During the event’s opening celebration, Commission Chairman Dave Ryan said, “It (ADA) really is something to celebrate.” Ryan thanked the county commissioners for stepping up to the plate and hiring the ADA coordinator. Commissioner Tom Jarboe [R: 1st District} noted that the new coordinator, Kimberly McCain was in training and thus not able to attend the event.
Commission Past President Eric Colvin (shown) detailed the history of ADA, which he said was based on the concepts of civil rights, embodied in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “It is an original American idea,” he stated. But he noted that the struggles for disability rights went back to the middle of the 19th century.
“It (disabilities) was previously viewed as welfare issue not a civil rights issue. ADA charged that,” Colvin observed.
Colvin said the issue came into focus when many people with disabilities were pressed into the work force during World Wars One and Two and also the number of returning disabled service members. He said up to that point people with disabilities had been institutionalized or “hidden in the house.” He noted, “The physical infrastructure reinforced the isolation.”
“Twenty-five years later do we have a perfect society? No! But we are moving in the right direction,” Colvin said. He said today the rallying cry by people with disabilities is, “Nothing about us without us.”
Executive Director of Southern Maryland Community Resources Bonnie Elward, an event organizer, read a letter from Rep. Steny Hoyer [D; 5th District] who has been a long-time ADA supporter.
Guest speakers Delegate Deb Rey [R; District 29B] and Tony O’Donnell [R; 29C], and Commissioner President Randy Guy [R] and Commissioner Jarboe {R] then spoke with personal stories about the impact of ADA.
Rey noted that her hearing impaired mother-in-law had been helped by closed captioning.
O’Donnell (shown) told the story of hiring a legally-blind legislative aide who came to the office every day with her service dog. O’Donnell said more people visited his office to see her than they did him. And he added, “I learned more from her than she did from me.”
Guy, a U.S. Air Force veteran, talked about his experience with wounded veterans in the field and then in his time working at the Pentagon.
Jarboe talked about the lack of an elevator in the office in which his company was located and the decision to move because the office wasn’t ADA compliant.
Keynote speaker for the event was Rodney Flowers, best-selling author of “Get Up.” Flowers was injured in a horrific accident in 1993 playing football when he was a sophomore at Lumberton High School in North Carolina. He said lying on the field, “I was so afraid.” He then tells the rest of his story on his website: http://rodneyflowers.com/
“In that moment, I didn’t have many options. All I could do was lay on that field, wondering if my life was over. But as the seconds turned into minutes, the minutes into hours, and the hours into days, I realized that I did in fact have options. And as a matter of fact, I decided the only options I had was to either accept my condition as the way it is, or begin the difficult road of fighting back. I knew the odds were not in my favor. It was clear there was a high chance I would never walk again. Doctors told me most people who are paralyzed remain paralyzed for the rest of their lives. I asked the doctor several times if I would walk again. The doctors said that it was very unlikely as there is no cure or medical procedure to correct paralysis. My medical physicians attempted to offer hope by providing testimonies from people who were paralyzed, but still managed to live productive and happy lives from the confines of a wheelchair. Mentally, I could not grasp that concept. I could not see myself in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. The thought of that made me sick to my stomach. It brought about pain and discontent. This was not what I envisioned my life to be. Something had to change. I refused to accept reality for the rest of my life. I flipped a switch in my mind that made me determined to overcome paralysis and learn how to walk again. Each day I worked towards regaining my strength to stand and walk on my own by executing various strategies and workout routines geared at strengthening my body. It didn’t matter how long it was going to take or how hard it was going to be, I was willing to try as hard as I could for however long it took.
“Now, as a result of determination, faith, and persistent effort, I no longer use a wheelchair. I am now able to effectively execute my duties in my job and productively participate as a member of the community without the use of a wheelchair. During my pursuit to overcome paralysis and the confines of a wheelchair, I also continued my education. In 2000, I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Andrews Presbyterian College followed by a Professional Master’s of Business Administration in 2003 from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. Today, I’m assigned to the NAVAL Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Program Office (PMA-290) as a procuring contracting officer where I’m responsible for executing and managing the performance of contracting actions. March 2015 marks fourteen years of service to the Department of Defense (Navy).
“My focus is to continually serve as an example that will inspire, motivate, and encourage others to never give up and reach for their hopes and dreams regardless of their current limitations, challenges, or disability. We all have our own set of obstacles and setbacks in life. Mine were pretty significant. However in that moment, I made a choice…And since making that choice, I never once looked back. Sure, I had my moments of weakness and often wanted to give up and throw in the towel. But the moments passed and I never once wavered in my belief that I could leave behind the wheelchair. For me, that wheelchair represented all that restricted my life. That chair with wheels prevented me from moving forward and putting one foot in front of the other. It simply was not an option.
“In each of our lives, we all have a proverbial wheelchair. Something that is limiting and presents what seems like an insurmountable obstacle. Wheelchairs are just part of life. But how we handle those setbacks and obstacles is truly what defines our lives. My journey is an ongoing one. But I am confident that if you share it with me and look closely, you will learn lessons and tools that I was lucky enough to gain along the way. These principles will help you not only manage adversity, but also overcome it. To this day, I still need assistance with walking, but I am grateful and thankful I do not need the assistance of a wheelchair. I am vertical every day and I am graciously excited to be able to walk on my own and share my story with you.
“In my book, “GET UP! I can’t, I will, I did”, you will learn more about my story. But most importantly, I am confident you will find yourself inspired and motivated to never let adversity stifle your personal growth. Remember-it is a part of life. However, how you respond to the adversity is what defines your journey. There were few that believed I’d ever walk again. But I knew I would. Personally, that confidence and trust in my vision for the future is what kept me going. It helped me get up when I was told I never would. In life, we all suffer the hits. I was given a big one. So big it knocked me off my feet. But when you get hit, how do you respond?”
Flowers has worked for 14 years with the Department of Defense and is currently at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. He autographed copies of his book before and after his talk.
The event also featured games such as corn hole, moon bounce and hula hoops for children, health screenings by the Lions Club and a number of booths with information about services for people with disabilities. Lunch was provided by Mission Barbecue of California and ice cream by Brusters of Hollywood.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com
