Bill Baxter, a self- advocate, accomplished local musician and public speaker shares his story on how the benefits of special education and medical services, such as Medicaid, impact his life. You can follow Bill’s self advocacy at his Facebook Page, “Bill Baxter, Self Advocate“.
Bill’s Journey to become a Self-Advocate
In 1954, after being stuck in child birth, doctors had to use a pair of forceps to get me out. Some damage was done. The Doctor, realizing what happened (and it was too late) came out and told my dad, “I’m sorry, but we should have taken him by C-Section.” Since my birth in 1954, I have been disabled. Unfortunately, my early school years were plagued by numerous problems. In school, I was held back several times.
By 1963, a new program started up at Loara Elementary School for students with learning disabilities called EMR (Educationally Mentally Retarded) *. There, my teacher, Mr. Crum, was called from Francis Scott Key Elementary School in Anaheim, California to teach one of the EMR Classes. Mr. Boone was the other EMR Teacher, and so my Special Education began. I was in Mr. Crum’s class my 2nd and 3rd-grade year, and he was a fantastic teacher.
Beginning in 4th Grade, my family decided it was time to mainstream me**. Next, I began going to Francis Scott Key Elementary School in Anaheim, California. I was placed in regular classes with Mrs. Jurva–another fantastic teacher. She helped me to acclimate in regular classes. As it turns out, not every student in EMR had an intellectual disability (myself included). EMR was later renamed EH (Educationally Handicapped). Eventually, it was just called Special Education.
While I was at Francis Scott Key Elementary School, some buildings were added to the lunch area so that Special Ed could be taught there. My favorite teacher, Mr. Crum, returned to Key School to teach one of the classes. While there, I often received remarks saying that I should have been in those classes. People said that I didn’t belong anywhere else. Eventually, the problem grew worse at Trident Junior High School. I was in the Advanced Marching Band at Trident, and fellow band members made it known that I didn’t belong in that band. Later, I went on to graduate from California State University-East Bay in 1979. After a while, my life became a social disaster, until the changing life experiences of Christianity totally changed my life forever***.
Now, many schools have adequate Special Ed Classes for disabled students who need them. Mr. Crum is gone now, but I owe him and Special Education a lot for all they did for me in making my life’s journey an easier one.
Bill Baxter, Self Advocate
The Power of Adequate Health Care
Adequate health care has helped make my life easier. Thankfully, it was through adequate health care that I was diagnosed with various disabilities. After diagnosis, I could receive appropriate medical care. Then, I could work with these disabilities and live a more prosperous life. Medicaid, for those who have it, is every bit as vital as to people with I/DD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) as Special Education Programs are. Furthermore, I want children and young people with I/DD to have a brighter future. How can that happen if Medicaid is slashed? Slashing Medicaid and funding to the people with disabilities who need it would be as detrimental as cutting Special Education Programs from our schools.
Bill Baxter, Self-Advocate.
*Please note that the r-word is now considered outdated and derogatory. The Arc Pikes Peak Region supports the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promotes the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Please consider signing a pledge to “spread the word to end the word” to end the use of the r-word at www.r-word.org.
**Mainstreaming, in the context of education, is the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes during specific time periods based on their skills. This means regular education classes are combined with special education classes.
***The Arc Pikes Peak Region does not endorse/is not affiliated with any particular religion/faith.
Please sign the pledge at http://www.r-word.org/
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