stories
Getting Started in 1986
by Russell Johnson
I met John Hider at a self-advocacy conference in Batavia in 1986. It was a small gathering then. There was a woman named Barbara Gray. She was a staff person at the sheltered workshop where I worked in Medina. She said, “Russell, let’s start a self-advocacy group.” I was very interested in it.
So we started it and met in a restaurant on a weekend. We made a flyer and sent it to people in the group homes and at the workshop. We invited people from the next town over, Albion. We had about 8 or 9 people. I liked it a lot. We talked about speaking up for ourselves, helped each other, and helped our community.
Don Calhoun, the agency director, was very supportive. When Barbara moved on, we got a different advisor, and have kept having different advisors over the years. The agency made sure to find a new advisor when we lost one, so that we could meet. We worked together on advocacy issues, and he invited me to share my voice with the community. We got the public bus to come into town.
I always spoke up for myself. Being in the group helped me speak up more. As a group we did a lot. I also got involved with the Self Advocacy Association, going to regional events, and helping to plan self-advocacy conferences. Whenever I have the chance, I speak up about things.
I like self advocacy. It gives me support. It makes my life more interesting. I like helping out, helping other people with disabilities.
The group still exists. It is called the All Stars. They meet in Albion now.
I met John Hider at a self-advocacy conference in Batavia in 1986. It was a small gathering then. There was a woman named Barbara Gray. She was a staff person at the sheltered workshop where I worked in Medina. She said, “Russell, let’s start a self-advocacy group.” I was very interested in it.
So we started it and met in a restaurant on a weekend. We made a flyer and sent it to people in the group homes and at the workshop. We invited people from the next town over, Albion. We had about 8 or 9 people. I liked it a lot. We talked about speaking up for ourselves, helped each other, and helped our community.
Don Calhoun, the agency director, was very supportive. When Barbara moved on, we got a different advisor, and have kept having different advisors over the years. The agency made sure to find a new advisor when we lost one, so that we could meet. We worked together on advocacy issues, and he invited me to share my voice with the community. We got the public bus to come into town.
I always spoke up for myself. Being in the group helped me speak up more. As a group we did a lot. I also got involved with the Self Advocacy Association, going to regional events, and helping to plan self-advocacy conferences. Whenever I have the chance, I speak up about things.
I like self advocacy. It gives me support. It makes my life more interesting. I like helping out, helping other people with disabilities.
The group still exists. It is called the All Stars. They meet in Albion now.