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Advocay and Support
ThisAbled and Making a Difference
Person of the Month
Kathy Martinez
Executive Director
World Institute on Disabilities
By Javier Robles
When she was a young girl, Kathy Martinez's parents had the same expectations for her as they did for their other six children, even though Kathy was born blind. They saw the same potential that most parents see when they look at their children; however, they preached what Martinez would one day preach at school, at work and eventually abroad. That everyone is equal regardless of ability and, therefore, should be offered the same opportunities in employment, education, health care, and wealth development.
Martinez was born blind in a time before laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) or the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Act of 1999 (TWWIA). However, she was mainstreamed through the public school system and had high expectations of society and herself. According to Martinez, a disability rights protest in April of 1977 in Berkley, California landed her in the midst of the struggle known today as the Disability Rights Movement. There, she counted among her friends and mentors Ed Roberts who is considered the father of the Independent Living Movement, Judy Huemann currently working for the World Bank but also a co-founder of the World Institute on Disabilities (WID) with Roberts.
Currently, Martinez is the Executive Director of WID. She is the first Latina with a disability to hold this position. Previously she was the Deputy Director of WID and oversaw Proyecto Vision, a Federally funded effort to outreach to Latinos with disabilities on employment issues. As a leader, Martinez has worked hard in the United States to insure equality. However, she also witnessed how far we have to go internationally, while living in Mexico, and during an extended exchange trip to Japan and Mexico. She notes that people are still struggling to get basic accommodations such as accessible sidewalks, lack of transportation and little to no disability awareness.
The questions surrounding events in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina were difficult to answer for Martinez. This event has shaken the foundations in our belief that we are safe in our neighborhoods. It was a national tragedy and Martinez realizing the scope and magnitude, said I dont have the answers for some of these questions. She does say that there was a lack of response from many parties including, federal, state and local government. If anything was learned from this tragedy, it is that people with disabilities need to be better prepared for catastrophes and emergencies. We should prepare person-by-person and block-by-block and, most importantly, know your neighbor. Having an emergency plan is crucial and may be a key factor in insuring an individuals safety.
According to Martinez, there is much work that needs to be done on all sides in reaching out to people of color with disabilities. Mainstream agencies serving people with disabilities need to do a better job at including and bringing in people of color. However, there needs to be a greater role for people with disabilities in agencies that mainly serve people of color. Inclusion of people with disabilities has been a historical struggle for Martinez as she notes in her paper Road to Independent Living in the USA: an historical perspective and contemporary challenges. Martinez states, I was involved in both the women's movement and the farm workers movement, but without feeling completely "included." Organizers of those movements found it difficult to get past my blindness and make use of my skills.
Martinez believes that lack of information on disability issues and low expectations from others were among her biggest personal challenges growing up.
The five strategies she used to overcome these challenges and the ones she would recommend to our readers are:
- Learn from others and seek out mentors
- Trust in yourself
- Have a plan
- Be a part of other communities, i.e. womens movement, student organizations, clubs, etc.
- Know where your headed
Martinez grew up in Los Angeles, California after her parents relocated from New Mexico. There her parents immigration status was questioned but their resolve to provide the best for their children was unquestionable. This is evident in Kathy Martinezs ability to expect the best from others. Whether speaking at a large conference or a small group, her message is clear. We must continue our advocacy efforts in employment, wealth development, health care, and independent living. However, we must remain cognizant that our job here in the United States and abroad is not done.
