WEBVTT 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.065 What do you look for when you meet someone new? 00:00:08.066 --> 00:00:09.923 What do you listen for? 00:00:09.924 --> 00:00:11.890 I like people who have the same interests as me. 00:00:11.891 --> 00:00:14.626 Like, I play video games, I do sports.. 00:00:15.099 --> 00:00:16.296 If they're outgoing.. 00:00:16.759 --> 00:00:19.525 I look for my own characteristics in other people. 00:00:19.526 --> 00:00:20.725 It helps me relate to them. 00:00:20.726 --> 00:00:23.395 If a person's open minded, and they're into the 00:00:23.396 --> 00:00:24.824 same kind of, like, music.... 00:00:24.825 --> 00:00:26.362 If they're fun, and if they, like, 00:00:26.363 --> 00:00:27.692 have a positive attitude... 00:00:28.165 --> 00:00:33.197 I'd like to meet someone that has the same.... 00:00:33.198 --> 00:00:37.230 maybe, attitude, or same beliefs. 00:00:38.198 --> 00:00:40.758 If you have that chemistry with someone, then 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:42.461 it'll just, it'll go pretty far. 00:00:43.066 --> 00:00:44.857 That pretty much sums it up. 00:00:44.858 --> 00:00:48.296 When we meet a new roommate, the co-worker in the next cubicle, 00:00:48.297 --> 00:00:51.527 or a possible friend, we look for similarities. 00:00:51.528 --> 00:00:53.494 If they're talking about, like, similar interests 00:00:53.495 --> 00:00:57.428 that I have, then that kind of helps. 00:00:57.429 --> 00:00:59.560 We're also watching for positive reactions from people we meet. 00:01:01.165 --> 00:01:04.923 They don't necessarily have to be like me, but I look 00:01:04.924 --> 00:01:07.692 for someone who respects, who respects the way I am and 00:01:07.693 --> 00:01:08.857 doesn't judge me for it. 00:01:09.693 --> 00:01:11.890 A little conversation, an exchange of information, 00:01:11.891 --> 00:01:15.923 a respect for differences, 00:01:15.924 --> 00:01:18.494 those are building blocks for good interaction. 00:01:19.891 --> 00:01:23.527 But what happens when only one part of you is noticed by others? 00:01:23.528 --> 00:01:25.857 What if people only see something that's different from them, 00:01:25.858 --> 00:01:28.197 such as a disability? 00:01:28.198 --> 00:01:33.725 When they treat me like I'm two. 00:01:34.627 --> 00:01:38.999 And especially in restaurants. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:41.362 Maybe 90 percent of the time, 00:01:41.363 --> 00:01:44.428 the waitress treats me like a baby. 00:01:45.528 --> 00:01:47.824 Throughout growing up, I've been ridiculed by both 00:01:47.825 --> 00:01:51.032 staff and students, at various schools and stuff. 00:01:51.033 --> 00:01:53.395 One thing I don't like that they do sometimes, 00:01:53.396 --> 00:01:54.692 is they look me up and down. 00:01:54.693 --> 00:01:57.098 You can see their eyes just like, going up and down, 00:01:57.099 --> 00:01:59.256 looking at the wheelchair and me. 00:02:02.825 --> 00:02:04.890 Remember back in grade school 00:02:04.891 --> 00:02:07.791 when some teacher told you that "it's what's inside that counts?" 00:02:07.792 --> 00:02:11.758 Feelings, preferences, ethics, intelligence –all the things you can't see– 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:15.362 are what define us as individuals. 00:02:15.363 --> 00:02:18.560 Having a disability is part of a person's identity as well, 00:02:18.561 --> 00:02:21.230 as it's something to deal with every day, 00:02:21.231 --> 00:02:24.428 and something that may influence recreation, career, and other choices. 00:02:25.231 --> 00:02:28.065 But that's the key word: part. 00:02:28.066 --> 00:02:30.857 There's so much more to anyone and everyone 00:02:30.858 --> 00:02:33.758 than how they speak, hear, see, or move around. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:35.065 Check it out. 00:02:36.132 --> 00:02:38.659 I love to play football. 00:02:38.660 --> 00:02:42.824 And someday I hope to actually get to do cliff jumping, 00:02:42.825 --> 00:02:45.428 which is basically, ah, jump off the cliff, 00:02:45.429 --> 00:02:47.428 and then you parachute off of it. 00:02:48.693 --> 00:02:49.999 It's a lot of fun. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.131 I am kind of an adrenaline junkie. 00:02:52.132 --> 00:02:55.725 I like roller coasters, and I like to go boating, and 00:02:55.726 --> 00:02:59.626 like, someday I would love to skydive. 00:02:59.627 --> 00:03:04.890 I really enjoy hearing other points of view, so you know, 00:03:04.891 --> 00:03:07.923 whether it be political or different hobbies, 00:03:07.924 --> 00:03:09.857 it's always fun to experience different things. 00:03:10.165 --> 00:03:14.263 I like to hang out with people, 00:03:14.264 --> 00:03:17.296 I like to do fun things with friends, and see sports games. 00:03:17.297 --> 00:03:18.626 I love sports. 00:03:18.627 --> 00:03:20.461 I love trying new things. 00:03:20.462 --> 00:03:23.692 Like, I was one of the first people to actually play tennis 00:03:23.693 --> 00:03:26.999 on my high school team in a wheelchair. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.494 I did basketball, tennis, archery, swimming, track, field. 00:03:31.495 --> 00:03:33.956 I'm from an island. My parents told me we were going 00:03:33.957 --> 00:03:37.164 to visit Orcas Island, and we ended up staying there. 00:03:37.165 --> 00:03:39.692 I'm the outgoing type. I like going outside. 00:03:39.693 --> 00:03:41.560 I don't like being cooped up. 00:03:41.561 --> 00:03:43.296 I have a great sense of humor. 00:03:43.297 --> 00:03:46.197 Even if it's like one of the weirdest jokes in the world, 00:03:46.198 --> 00:03:48.494 you might get a chuckle out of me for it. 00:03:48.495 --> 00:03:50.494 I'm a big video game player and everything. 00:03:50.495 --> 00:03:52.999 I like to listen to music. I have a rather extensive 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.323 collection of CDs, actually. Sometimes I like to play chess, 00:03:59.198 --> 00:04:01.197 and I'm really into computers, too. 00:04:01.198 --> 00:04:03.461 I love to travel. 00:04:03.462 --> 00:04:07.098 I've gone to almost all the 50 states. 00:04:07.099 --> 00:04:11.692 I've gone overseas to, like, Pakistan and all around Europe. 00:04:11.693 --> 00:04:15.032 I have a map in my room of pins, like where I've been, and like, 00:04:15.033 --> 00:04:16.065 the red ones for where I've been 00:04:16.066 --> 00:04:17.560 and green ones for where I want to go. 00:04:17.561 --> 00:04:19.461 When I was in high school, 00:04:19.462 --> 00:04:24.659 I was involved in everything: 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:24.659 ASB president, 00:04:24.660 --> 00:04:29.230 National Honor Society as the treasurer, 00:04:29.231 --> 00:04:33.428 Unity Club as the vice president, 00:04:33.429 --> 00:04:35.725 DECA as the treasurer. 00:04:36.264 --> 00:04:38.032 I love working with animals. 00:04:38.033 --> 00:04:41.659 I've been volunteering for the past two years at the teen center by my house. 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:46.692 I play about eleven different instruments, and I'm in choir for school. 00:04:46.693 --> 00:04:48.923 I like working with the elderly. 00:04:48.924 --> 00:04:54.131 I'm going to hopefully go to medical school to be a podiatrist. 00:04:54.132 --> 00:04:58.230 Last year, I worked with a doctor here locally in Seattle. 00:04:58.231 --> 00:05:00.725 He invited me to come intern. 00:05:00.726 --> 00:05:04.098 He does in-office procedures of toenail removal and things like that, 00:05:04.099 --> 00:05:06.362 that's a fun one to watch. 00:05:06.363 --> 00:05:08.791 Most people would find it gross, but I found it very fascinating. 00:05:08.792 --> 00:05:10.626 If I had a cure for autism, 00:05:10.627 --> 00:05:13.098 I would never take it. Autism is me. 00:05:13.099 --> 00:05:16.428 It is what makes me who I am, and I'm embracing it, 00:05:16.429 --> 00:05:17.923 and I'm never letting it go. 00:05:17.924 --> 00:05:26.325 So, I'm proud to be autistic, and I'm proud that my friends are autistic, and 00:05:26.326 --> 00:05:27.329 Aspies forever! You know. 00:05:27.330 --> 00:05:28.626 That's all I have to say, really.