NARRATORS
Meet six self-advocates with Down syndrome from Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York. Listen to and read their stories, collaboratively edited from oral history interviews.
John Anton
John Anton is a self-advocate, public speaker and legislative aide from Boston, Massachusetts. In these stories, he shares his experiences sticking up for himself in his Individualized Support Planning meetings, working with John Kerry’s office to advocate for the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE), interning with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers on Capitol Hill, and working at the Massachusetts State House.
Claire Bible
Claire Bible is a self-advocate and writer from Madison, Wisconsin. In these stories, she describes what it took to define her life on her own terms, and some of the things she loves, from singing to writing to taking up the mantle of disability rights activists before her.
Chris Burke
Chris Burke is a self-advocate, public speaker and actor from New York, New York. He starred as the character Corky in the ABC drama Life Goes On from 1989-1993.
David Egan
David Egan is a self-advocate, public speaker and author from Vienna, Virginia, who recently published a memoir, More Alike Than Different: My Life With Down Syndrome. In these stories, David reflects alone and with others about the way that the world should be, some of the barriers that we’re up against in getting there, some of his thoughts on how to overcome them, and the relationships and experiences that really matter.
Mitchell Levitz
Mitchell Levitz is a self-advocate, public speaker, author and public health advocate from Westchester, New York. Along with Jason Kingsley, he co-authored the memoir, Count Us In: Growing Up with Down Syndrome. In these stories, he shares his wisdom and experiences from nearly 20 years of working at the Westchester Institution for Human Development, offering reflections on advocacy and advice for doctors who work with people with disabilities.
Sara Wolff
Sara Wolff is a self-advocate, public speaker and storyteller from Moscow, Pennsylvania. In these stories, she shares some of her thoughts about life beyond public speaking, and some of the formative experiences that inform her advocacy.