Michael joined the disability movement as a consumer and volunteer at the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, CA. from 1975 – 1977. He worked for Earl McKeever on the first customer satisfaction survey on services provided by the Berkeley CIL. (He even still has a copy of that survey!) When Michael began looking for a job he had to lie about his disability because he thought he wouldn’t be hired. The Berkeley CIL was the first place he didn’t have to lie. But he found when he looked for jobs in the Bay Area and disclosed he had a vision disability, he didn’t get hired.
Through vocational services at the Berkeley CIL Michael interviewed for a job at IBM and was hired, which led to a 31-year successful career. After IBM retirement he volunteered through a specialized United Way training program and served on the Board of Directors for Independence Place, a Center for Independent Living in Lexington, KY. Michael shares that he loves the CILs and was grateful that at the beginning of his life and career he participated in a moment of history at the beginning of the Disability Rights movement. At the time, he didn’t realize how historic it was, and just thought it was a place where a lot of cool people were doing great things. Now, in his later years, he is back in the disability rights movement.
Michael always wanted to learn more and help and applied for a Director position on the Kentucky Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC). Michael was appointed in 2020 and is serving his second term. Michael states that one of the most memorable accomplishments of the SILC was moving from the position within the Kentucky State infrastructure and becoming an independent non-profit. This allows the SILC to grow and become more relevant to Kentuckians with disabilities. The SILC now has our first Executive Director and we’ve just started and the future looks very bright!