Malala's Impact On My Life

BY KETRINA HAZELL

Growing up, I was very shy and only spoke to my parents and siblings. You see, I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at nine months old.

There were challenges from the very beginning, and it was no different when I started school. While entering the public school system, I was evaluated by a school psychologist who assumed I didn’t know my colors and should be placed in a class with children who were referred to as ‘mentally retarded’ at the time, which is now known as intellectual disability.

My mom met with the Department of Education and appealed the decision. She assured them that I knew my colors, and we won the case after a fair hearing. I then attended mainstream schools with special education support.

That was just the beginning.

I have watched my mom advocate for me, fearlessly and tirelessly, within the education system. Back then, I was often the only one in my entire school or class in a wheelchair.

In 8th grade, I was assigned to write a persuasive letter of my choice addressed to my school principal. My other classmates focused on persuading the principal to no longer require a school uniform. I, however, decided to write about why my dad had to take a day off from work to bring me on my senior trip because the school didn’t order an accessible bus to accommodate me as a student who uses a wheelchair. My dad was the only one working because my mom stayed home to care for me.

This letter made it to the bulletin board of my school, and it caught the attention of my teachers, my principal, and officials from the Department of Education. I had no idea back then, but that experience marked the beginning of my journey toward speaking up and making a difference for other students with disabilities.

That was when I noticed and felt the separation between the students with and without disabilities. I held on to Malala’s quote, “when the world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful”.

Growing up, I often heard my mom say little girls are not supposed to be loud in order to be seen. But on the other hand, she also reminded me to speak up in class from time to time because “otherwise the teachers will never know what you are capable of”.

More and more often, I would break my silence, find my voice, and become a voice for the voiceless.

At 14 years old, I started high school. I didn’t have many options to choose from because many New York City public schools were not wheelchair accessible. Even at that young age, I realized there is a difference between accessibility and inclusion.

The special education classroom for students with disabilities in self-contained classes was only held on the first floor, and the classroom I spent most of my school days in was the size of a closet with no windows. Thus, I began to write letters to many officials about my high school experience and the unfair treatment of students with disabilities.

I remember writing a letter to my local councilman about the issues I was facing, and he called me directly. Once again, the letter made its way to the Department of Education. It took years for change to happen, but eventually, it did.

Malala’s words encouraged me, “Even if I am a girl, even if people think I can’t do it, I should not lose hope”.

Recognizing the need for people to know about our experiences and to be heard, I started my own website, Voice on Wheelz, to share stories and experiences with others. My objective was to give voice to those who were struggling just like me. In giving voice to them, I found my purpose.

This is also the way Malala started her journey to fight for education. We both found our voice through writing, and through my writing, I started to embrace my disability.

The first time I heard about Malala’s story on the news and her mission, I felt deeply connected to her. Our visions as young women – to be seen and heard – to bring light to the inequalities as well as the lack of access and inclusion in our worlds of education.

“Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human.”

Malala inspired me to take my mission internationally. In the summer of 2017, I found the courage to visit my parents’ home country in the Caribbean, St Vincent and the Grenadines. In this place, disability is not visible and is instead viewed as a curse or something to be ashamed of. Accessibility for wheelchairs was not a thing. Thus, I went on a mission to enlighten youth and educators by sharing my story and educating them on disability awareness.

I could hear Malala’s words ringing in my ears: “don’t wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”

Meanwhile, back in the US, as a senior in high school, I was not prepared by the school system to plan for college. I’d been told a day program would best fit me. Because of my many physical disabilities and all the support I needed, college was impossible.

I still applied for college but was emotionally prepared to look for a job if I wasn’t accepted. I was ready to embrace whatever doors opened for me.

Once I turned 18 years old, the disability system providers kept reminding my parents to let them know when they’d be ready to apply for guardianship. It is a legal action that takes away the rights of a person with disabilities, making someone else be in control of my life instead of me. Needless to say, that did not happen here.

Malala invited us to take action. She says, “We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave — to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.”

I’ve gone on to create Voice on Wheelz. My mission is to spread light and healing, as well as provide inspiration to one person and each creation at a time. I have become a motivational speaker, again inspired by the courage, passion, and compassion exemplified by Malala. I also founded the not-for-profit organization Disability Champions Mentoring Network Inc., and most recently, I’ve written a book called “Special Education to College, The Ketrina Story”.

I serve on The NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, The NYC Access- A-Ride Advisory Committee, and The NYS Advisory Council on Post-Secondary Education. All these things happened because a young girl reached out, and our voices and journeys connected at heart across the ocean.

There have been countless adults supporting me and my journey, but it has been Malala’s journey that has propelled me to take uncomfortable and dangerous actions and to speak up for the greater good.

About the author:

Ketrina is an author as well as the Executive Director and Founder of Disability Champion Mentoring Network. She was diagnosed with a disability called Cerebral Palsy at 9 months old. Throughout her life, her doctors, educators, and other professionals in the field created low expectations for Ketrina in many aspects.

Despite these expectations, she attended a mainstream New York City Public School with Special Education services and classroom support in her surrounding neighborhood of East New York and Brownsville. She graduated from Teachers Preparatory High School in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and received her Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from Kingsborough Community College.

Through Partners in Policymaking, Ketrina became a well-trained and educated advocate for individuals with disabilities and their families and has received other certificates in advocacy and Disability. She was also crowned Ms. Wheelchair NY 2018. Now a motivational speaker and Certified Professional Coach, she is using her platform to focus on bringing self-advocacy into schools and making them more inclusive.