As a member of
Berkshire County Arc's Board of Directors, Kathy Clark brings a
unique and important perspective to each board meeting.
As an individual served by
Berk- shire County Arc, Kathy speaks eloquently and know ledgeably for
all the other individuals.
Chosen for her outstanding
sense of responsibility and her firm grasp of issues confronting the developmen-
tally disabled, Kathy takes her board duties seriously and contributes
to the meetings at every opportunity.
It wasn't always easy for
her to do this. "I was confused at first and afraid to ask ques-
tions, but Ken and all the other board members were very good and helpfulto
me. Now I feel really comfortable about asking questions and speaking
up." |
Kathy has some very strong ideas about
the challenges facing developmentally disabled people. "I think everyone
needs to have a good, rewarding job," she said, "and be able to live
in a place that they choose where they can be happy and comfortable.
If they need staff, they should have staff who re- spect them."
Respect is an important issue
for Kathy. "I respect other people and, and I expect them to respect
me. Everyone should be equal and should be treated the same way,
re- gardless of their disabilities. We're all just human beings,
and we all have feelings that need to be respected."
When
asked what her dream or vision was for disabled people, Kathy answered,
"I hope they all get a chance to stand up for themselves the way I've been
able to." |
|
Kathy leads a busy and active
life aside from her official respon- sibilities. She works a full
schedule as a house keeper at the Ponds at Foxhollow and enjoys going to
luch and the movies with her Citizen Advocate, Sandy Maden.
She's planning a trip to New York to see the Christmas Show at the Radio
City Music Hall in December.
Kathy has demonstrated her
ability to advocate for herself and others as longtime vice president of
The Berkshire Advocates. Her principal concerns as a self-advocate
are continuing the trend of closing teh institutions and changing the name
of the Department of Mental Retardation. "They have to think of a
name that will make people feel good about themselves, not bad. The
name the department has now just adds to people's problems."
One of Kathy's fondest memo-
ries was attending the National Self-Advocacy Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
"I had to cure my fear of flying to even get there," she said
Kathy's advocacy advisor
is quick to point out that Kathy is always optimistic and supportive at
self-advocacy meetings. It's this attitude that makes Kathy
Clark such a valued member of the Berkshire County Arc community. |
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