Raising Awareness of People with Disabilities

Carmelo Gonzalez knows firsthand about the struggles of living with a disability. Since early childhood, he has navigated through the challenges of life with cerebral palsy. He uses a motorized wheelchair, a service dog and full-time personal care attendants. He is unable to walk or control the muscles in his hands, arms and legs. He also has a speech impediment that makes it difficult for others to understand him.

"My experience of being disabled has given me a unique perspective on life," Gonzalez says. "It means I have to plan carefully for basic everyday activities. I don't take for granted simple pleasures like eating out with friends in a restaurant without my attendant. With the responses I get from people, it's often a challenge to go out in public. But that's why it's so important to get involved. Non-disabled people need to know more about disabled people. One of my main goals is to raise awareness about disability so that non-disabled people will become more accepting and facilities will become increasingly accessible."

To accomplish this goal, Gonzalez, 36, began participating in ConnecTV, a project of Downtown Community Television and three-year television production and training program for people with disabilities. An editor, producer and student in his second year of the program, Gonzalez produces and directs videos to raise awareness about issues associated with disability. His video "One Night Sit" was screened at many venues, including an HBO-sponsored viewing and the Philippines Film Festival, and won two awards.

"Carmelo has worked tirelessly to educate the public about the lives and struggles of people with disabilities and to master the skills of TV production to share their stories with all of us," says ConnecTV instructor Chris Arnold. "Even though he has mobility limitations, he never complains or asks for special treatment, but instead always asks how he can help others and contribute to the team."

Gonzalez studied at The National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped for seven years and has performed and written plays and short stories as well as an autobiography entitled "Rolling On," part of which was printed in Disability Life. He is active in the organization "Disabled in Action," an advocacy group working for the rights of disabled people, and is a current board member. Gonzalez was born in Brooklyn and lived in Queens until he moved to Manhattan nine years ago.

- Claire Curry