Hi my name is James, and I have been a living as a paraplegic for the past 20+ years. At thecommencement of receiving my disability I considered myself  a person without any future or contributions to offer society. I felt as if my life was pretty much over. All type of questions raced through my mind such as; How could I survive in a cold world? What about my two sons and my lady, and how can I provide for them? And most important, is life worth living in such a condition?

But since then my view on life has done a full 360◦ change on what it means to have a “disability” in today’s society. All the previous questions I had regarding the quality of life have been more than fore filled, and that almost anything is possible. I have learned that just by focusing my attention toward a particular issue I can find a solution e.g. driving, or just performing daily task. The experience has truly taught me that there is no such thing as “can’t.” The true problem is re-framing our thinking outside the parameters and constraint which we allowed society to build around our minds when it comes to determining an individual’s worth. This blog is addressing such issues while attempting to redefine disability to “differently-abled” instead.

I am also extremely interested in all sort of social issues involving sub-groups which are underrepresented in the media. Being an African American in the United States from an underclass has provided me with a special slant on social consciousness and understanding the process of striving toward a particular goal in order to obtain equal opportunity for all regardless of race, gender, or sexuality. My style is a combination of wit, humor, philosophy, and a touch of sarcasm to help expound my point on a particular subject. Overall my goal is to raise the social consciousness while learning a thing or two for myself. In the process we can grow from one another experience, and as a whole we can help resolve many of the issues which disproportionately effect certain groups more than others.

-James C.