This biography was originally posted in August of 2002. I am still here fighting the big fight and thought I should reacquaint myself with our readers and also let our new readers know why we are blogging in the first place.
By Karen Kennedy-Woods
Born in Manhattan, February 24, 1959 to Maria and Dennis Campos was a 7lb 9oz., 23 in. bouncing baby boy named Paul. Paul was the youngest in a brood of six children. He would like to think he was the smartest and best looking of the bunch but I bet he might get some opposition to that opinion.
According to Paul, his childhood was a happy one, filled with typical "kid stuff" until he was around 8 years old. It was at that age that his muscular dystrophy fully manifested and Paul became confined to a wheelchair. Unlike his brother Dennis who is gone now, Paul accepted his disability without bitterness and did not allow it to drastically alter his life. Paul's positive attitude and serene disposition have endeared him to all whose life he has touched.
Although he went directly to College after graduating High School, the signs and smokes of the times dragged him out to stop and smell the flowers. In other words he wasn't ready for real life. He did however, find himself again and at age 20, Paul returned to College (Hunter) which he graduated from in 1988 with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology. Paul's first job was at LaGuardia Community College as assistant to the Director of Disabled Student Services. Paul gained invaluable experience by organizing and implementing LaGuardia's first Disability Awareness Day. Unfortunately the funding ran out and so did the job, only too quickly. So with a new degree, some experience and a terrific attitude Paul set out to find his next niche. Although getting a job can be extremely difficult for a person with a disability, Paul's winning personality and positive attitude gained him the necessary hook to securing his next position.
In 1990, Paul became Coordinator of the Volunteer Program for the Queens Independent Living Center. A few months later he inherited the position of Peer Counselor, where he ran their weekly support group for six years. Paul says that counseling (the group) gave him the most satisfaction because it was what he always believed to be his calling. The success of the group was proof of the pudding.
Based on these experiences Paul found the key to what drives him. When asked what makes him tick he states, "I owe everything to the Lord. He has protected me from harm in every sense. He has blessed me with not only the gift of gab, but the strength to overcome whatever curve life has thrown at me. My passion for life and loving everything about it still drives me to keep pushing forward. What I want is to do something that will help people with disabilities reach a level where they can contribute "equally" with everyone in society”.
Campos goes on to mention “I really believe that the non-disabled community can be shown to realize there's enormous potential in the disabled community. If that potential is tapped into, especially in the market place not only will it jump start the economy, but instill an atmosphere of tolerance and inspiration”. What's needed first is to create an "equal playing field". As a metaphor, one need only look to the last Paralympic games in Salt Lake City in order to see what is humanly possible. People with disabilities already contribute greatly, but there's much more work to be done. We all need inspiration. What better than to see and get to know people who overcome obstacles everyday.
Whether one is disabled or not, all we need to do is look to each other for inspiration and encouragement so that we can all reach our potential as human beings. That basic human potential is what has motivated me to create this "Choose Ability" Blog. Paul concludes by saying that “it is his hope that as we implement our ideas as a community we can create successful change heading towards the future”.
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