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 Kelly Hickok’s career is impressive. She has worked in architectural firms, managed Americans with Disabilities Act projects for Crestar Bank and Phillip Morris USA, and led accessibility teams for the United States Post Offices.However, her current endeavor matches perfectly with her passion – teaching Virginia’s children that people with disabilities are just like everyone else and can do the same things we all do, maybe just a little differently. “A significant part of my job is to motivate, inspire and encourage people with disabilities to become active and involved in the issues that affect their lives,” explains Hickok, who now works as a community advocate at Resources for Independent Living, Inc. She adds, “Our agency works with the community to educate and advocate for the collective needs and rights of people with disabilities in all aspects of community living.” Not expected to live, Kelly’s life began with few expectations, however, forty-seven years later, she lives in her own home, is married, and is pushing the Commonwealth towards offering more choice in community based options for people with all abilities. Heroic? Special? An inspiration? Nope, just living life feeling truly blessed to be born into a family who “raised the bar” on the level of expectation for her life. Hickok’s parents rejected the advice to place her in an institution so they could “get on with their lives.” They joined a growing—and overwhelming—number of Virginians who then and now feel that the use of institutions opposed to community based opportunities is a civil rights issue for people with disabilities. “I think having a sister who is 3 years older, constantly gave me a benchmark to strive for, because I wanted to do everything she did and found my own way,” explains Hickok. With support from her parents, Hickok recalls finally going to public school for the first time when she was in the fifth grade due to the strong advocacy of her teacher, guidance counselor and others who just didn’t see “separate” as “equal.” When it came time for high school, however, the school system wanted to bus her to a different campus from the one attended by her peers. “My family said, no,” explains Hickok. “They -- and I -- felt that I should go to the same campus where all of my friends and family attended. “Not that I would suggest this now, but what they did was have the football and basketball teams carry me up and down the steps for four years…it was all the good looking guys in the school, so that wasn’t really a problem,” she laughs. When it came time for college, Hickok knew that she wanted to get to the people designing buildings (architects) to let them know she wanted to access those buildings too. “Oddly enough, a lot of the good architectural schools were not accessible at the time.” Deciding upon J. Sargeant Reynolds, Hickok began to really dig into her passion. “I didn’t want to design skyscrapers…I wanted to create environments that were more accessible to people with disabilities.” She says that her motivation came from the simple fact that, “we don’t know—nor should we decide—what people are capable of until we provide the options, opportunity, and the choice to do all the same things as everyone else.” Today, Hickok shares these facts with audiences throughout Virginia, from topics related to the Americans with Disabilities Act to general “Disability Etiquette.” Most important to her, however, are the children she teaches. They are our future decision makers, she says. Even though progress seems slow at times, nationally, we can be proud of our continual effective advocacy toward removal of physical barriers in the built environment. “We can build ramps where there are steps and widen doorways, however, changing attitudes, opinions and assumptions about people we perceive to be different will evolve into creating real and meaningful opportunities for people of all abilities. “Because my parents had expectations of me, I learned to have them of myself. It doesn’t stop there. I expect this generation to create a more inclusive environment, I expect our legislators and key decision makers to change policies that restrict abilities, I expect all of us to keep on educating and advocating so we’re all free to choose the life we expect.” |
It wasn’t long after Sandy Hermann delivered her baby girl that she found herself in a room -- sitting and waiting. She wanted answers. On the other side of the table from Hermann buzzed a team of doctors eager to share information about a long-term pediatric residential care facility nearby.
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Virginia Still Is Playing Catch-Up in Disability-Rights Arena
"Each Virginian with a disability deserve to enjoy the same benefits of society and freedoms of every day life that Virginians without disabilities enjoy."
- Gov. Tim Kaine
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College Bound 2009
College Bound 2009 Registration deadline May 31, 2009
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| Able to Choose A public awareness campaign funded in part by Virginia Board for People with Disabilities |
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Toll Free Voice/TTY: 800-846-4464 Info@VBPD.virginia.gov Copyright 2009 |
