PARTNERS PODCAST JUNE 2007 - J. Paul Chase


I'm Patrick Connelly. People living with disabilities are part of almost every family in America today. 
70% of us will be living with a disabling condition at some point in our lives.  

This last month I was privileged to interview four people who are a part of the disability community 
who are changing our world. These people have all been involved in some way or impacted by Partners 
in Policymaking. 

Jay Paul Chase decided not to take a life of mediocrity and talks about his being an advocate and his work with Partners to change the world, an advocate and a national leader in disability, meeting all kinds of important people. 

Please enjoy these wonderful interviews and thank you very much for taking the time to listen.


J. Paul Chase:
I'm J. Paul Chase, as you all know I'm from Florence, Alabama. I'm 29 years old and I have the 
diagnosis of Autism. 

My mother began getting involved with Partners in Policymaking. I think that's probably what taught 
her ultimately to accept me as I am. We had to fight to keep me from being put into segregated 
settings such as Special Ed.

Special Education is more like segregating. It should just be education, not special. Instead of listening to what people really want and need, people with disabilities we just want what other 
people want and need, nothing "special". 

I've met other people who prior to that had been segregated in what they call "Mental Homes". They 
definitely had a dramatic improvement after Partners had helped them finally escape that and become 
a visible role in the community, and in the world. 

Just like we shouldn't segregate people with green eyes or bald men or people who are European or 
American, we shouldn't name their disabilities. Everyone should be mainstreamed into one community, 
not segregate or stereotype people into different groups. Some have assumed simply because I have 
autism that I'm like the character, the Rain Man. That I don't have a sense of humor or that I can 
count toothpicks in a single bound. It's more like a benefit; it's not a disease or anything that 
needs to be cured. 

I've seen some changes. I've seen people be more respectful to people in regard to disabilities. I 
believe that a person should be referred to as a person first, before their disability. They shouldn't 
be spoken for but they be allowed to speak or themselves. 

Just to listen to their children, accept them as they are and not try to "fix them" or "cure them". 

Partners in Policymaking was very enlightening. They teach us how to testify before councils and 
boards. Most importantly it helps people change their attitudes. 

To say that we are empowering people with disabilities, and just saying what sounds good or what looks 
good on paper, or what we think people want to hear, that doesn't get us any where. We're just all 
different types who make up a world, and whether we have a disability or not we all have a common 
thread. We all want the same things, to be part of the community, to go to school, work, play, have 
transportation, but that won't be possible as long as people with disabilities, indeed any people, 
period, continue to be segregated. 

Patrick Connally: 
Thank you very much for listening. This show was produced by Disability Rights Enforcement Education 
Services, helping you help others, and funded and co produced by the Minnesota Governor's Council on 
Developmental Disabilities. And we'd like to thank KBT Studio in San Anselmo for making us look good 
on audio. Thank you very much.