[00:00:01]
ON ABILITIES, A PROGRAM ABOUT ISSUES AFFECTING[Focus on Abilities (#190): "UT Associate Director of Office Research Administration Michelle Colvard"]
THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.I'LL BE YOUR HOST FOR TODAY'S PROGRAM.
I DIRECT THE INDEPENDENT LIVING RESEARCH UTILIZATION PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN.
AND I'M PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON.
WE'VE GOT A VERY INTERESTING SHOW TODAY FOR YOU, AND WE HAVE A QUESTION THAT WE'LL ANSWER BEFORE THE END OF THE SHOW.
UH, I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHO IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY WAS MISS WHEELCHAIR, TEXAS? WE'LL ANSWER BEFORE THE END OF THE SHOW, SO STAY TUNED.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
OUR GUEST TODAY ON FOCUS IS MICHELLE CULVERT.
I'M MICHELLE, WELCOME TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
NOW YOU HAVE A LONG HISTORY AS AN ADVOCATE IN HOUSTON FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND, UH, YOU'RE PRESENTLY ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE CITY.
TELL US WHAT THAT JOB ENTAILS.
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE
UH, SO MY ROLE REALLY, THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT IT, MY LENS IS AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.
AND I HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN BORN WITH MY DISABILITY.
UM, AND I ALSO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AND OUR, UM, HOW THAT DOVETAILS WITH VISION ZERO, UM, WITH THE CITY, AND, UM, TRYING TO ENSURE THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN GET AROUND THE CITY, WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE A DISABILITY SAFELY.
AND, UH, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PLAYS A BIG PART WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THAT LENS THAT YOU DESCRIBED MM-HMM
AS A DISABILITY ADVOCATE, DO YOU CARRY THAT WITH YOU REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR JOB IS? WELL, OF COURSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LIKE YOU, I'M SURE.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WHERE I'M JUST MAYBE TOO CLOSE TO IT AND DON'T ALWAYS REALIZE THAT SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A DISABILITY DOESN'T SEE THINGS THE SAME WAY THAT I DO.
YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT SEE THAT A SIGN IN A PARTICULAR PLACE, IT'S WELL INTENTIONED, YOU KNOW, TO HELP DIRECT SOMEBODY THAT'S IN A WHEELCHAIR CAN'T BE VISIBLE BY THAT PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR, YOU KNOW? SO YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A RAMP OVER HERE OR AN ELEVATOR OVER HERE, YOU KNOW? UM, YOU JUST KIND OF GO ABOUT LIFE, YOU KNOW, UM, WITH A PARTICULAR PERSPECTIVE, LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN A LOT OF SENSE, UM, THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE.
AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, OFTEN JUST SHOCKED BY, UM, YOU SOME OF THE POINTS THAT I MIGHT BRING UP, UM, IN SOME SORT OF ADVOCACY CAPACITY AND, YOU KNOW, REALIZE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING SOMEBODY HASN'T EVER HEARD BEFORE.
SO YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE IS INFORMED BY YOUR DISABILITY AS A WHEELCHAIR USER, RIGHT.
UM, AND YET YOU'RE EXPECTED TO REPRESENT ALL PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
HOW DO YOU ADOPT THAT PERSPECTIVE? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I WORK REALLY HARD AT EDUCATING MYSELF OVER THE YEARS.
UM, I'VE MET WITH JUST MANY, MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE HARD OF HEARING THE DEAF COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, UM, AUTISTIC COMMUNITY.
UM, I MEAN, YOU NAME IT, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I AM NOT PERSONALLY IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, BUT, UM, I, I REALLY DO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN I TRY TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT AND HONEST WHEN, UM, I REALLY, I MEAN, I REALLY FEEL THAT WE ALL SHOULD ADHERE TO THE NOTHING ABOUT US, WITHOUT US STANDARD, YOU KNOW? AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BRING IN PEOPLE THAT HAVE THOSE PERSPECTIVES WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY NEEDED AND WHERE RULES OR WHERE, UM, DIFFERENT POLICIES ARE GONNA BE MADE THAT WILL AFFECT.
SO YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE YOUR ROLE AS ANSWERING THE QUESTION, BUT SOMETIMES MORE IMPORTANTLY, ENGAGING THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHO ARE VOICES OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
WELL, YOU PUT IT BETTER THAN I JUST DID.
[00:05:01]
EXPERIENCE, NOT ONLY TO DISABILITY, BUT ALSO TO OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS? WELL, YES, OF COURSE.I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK HAVING A DISABILITY SOMETIMES, UM, OPENS YOU UP TO THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHERS, AND YOU START DEVELOPING AN EMPATHY.
YOU DON'T SEE THE, I DON'T SEE THE WORLD IN BLACK AND WHITE.
I SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST ALL THE RANGE OF COLOR, YOU KNOW? UM, IT MAKES ME MORE OPEN TO THE EXPERIENCES OF SOMEBODY WHO IS GAY, FOR EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE DISCRIMINATION OR REALLY JUST NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES THEY MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED GROWING UP.
YOU KNOW, I GREW UP WITH A DISABILITY.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE SEPARATED FROM MY PEERS, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT DOESN'T FEEL GREAT, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T WANT THAT FOR OTHERS, YOU KNOW? SO YOU HAD A DISABILITY FROM BIRTH? THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, MM-HMM
AND THAT REQUIRED YOU TO USE A WHEELCHAIR? UM, I WAS ALWAYS IN AND OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR UNTIL THE AGE OF 10.
I HAD, UM, ABOUT 20 SURGERIES BEFORE THE AGE OF 20.
I SAY, YOU KNOW, 20 SURGERIES.
SO THAT'S PRETTY COMMON, A PRETTY COMMON STORY FOR SOMEBODY THAT WAS BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA LIKE MYSELF.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD AN, MY FIRST SURGERY WHEN I WAS AN INFANT, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE SURGERIES.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST MY LIFE.
AND, UH, MOST OF MY SUMMERS AS A CHILD WERE, I DON'T WANNA SAY MOST OF THEM, BUT A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM WERE SPENT IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE MY PARENTS DIDN'T WANNA, DIDN'T WANT ME TO LOSE ANY SCHOOL, YOU KNOW? UM, ALTHOUGH I DID, I DID LOSE SCHOOL.
I WAS, I SPENT CHRISTMAS IN THE HOSPITAL, YOU KNOW,
AND SO, UM, I THINK HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE, UM, AND THEN HAVING THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM, I WON'T AGE MYSELF, BUT IN THE EIGHTIES, UM, WHERE MAYBE THERE WASN'T MUCH AS MUCH OF AN EFFORT TO BE INCLUSIVE.
I THINK THAT THEY DID OKAY FOR THE TIME, BUT I, I CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL THAT WAY BACK THEN.
BUT YOU ARE, UM, YOU WERE BLOSSOMING AS AN ADULT AND BEING MORE INDEPENDENT.
THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO YOU BY A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT BY YOUR FAMILY, IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND, AND ALSO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, UH, MEDICAL TEAM AND, AND OTHERS.
WELL, MY PARENTS WERE, UM, DEFINITELY ENCOURAGING ME TO BE INDEPENDENT.
AND I THINK PART OF THIS IS THE EIGHTIES.
I WAS A LATCHKEY KID, THE STEREOTYPICAL GEN X LATCHKEY KID, YOU KNOW,
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I ROLL, WALKED OR ROLLED HOME FROM SCHOOL, UM, WATCHED MY YOUNGER BROTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, MADE, MADE, UH, DINNERS AND, YOU KNOW, USED THE MICROWAVE BUT WASN'T ALLOWED TO USE THE STOVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT EXPERIENCE DEFINITELY, AND, AND PERHAPS MAYBE, UM, MAYBE A GENETIC TRAIT, YOU KNOW, TO BE INDEPENDENT.
THOSE EXPERIENCES ARE PROBABLY WHAT LED ME TO BECOME A VERY INDEPENDENT ADULT.
UM, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD CREDIT NECESSARILY, UM, ADMINISTRATORS AND SO FORTH.
WE JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE THAT A LOT OF, UM, FAMILIES DO NOW WHERE YOU KIND OF HAVE THAT WRAPAROUND EXPERIENCE AND YOU HAVE LIKE, A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAT ARE THERE TO HELP YOU, YOU KNOW? DO YOU, HAVE YOU HAVE SIBLINGS? I DO.
SO MICHELLE, UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK FROM FOCUS RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL BE BACK, UH, TO COVER, UH, THE, THE, THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MICHELLE KARD.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
MOMENTS SHARED WITH LOVED ONES ARE PRECIOUS JOY ENCHANTMENT CONNECTION.
IT'S WHY WE TRAVEL AT HOUSTON AIRPORTS.
WE KNOW THE MAGIC OF FLIGHT BEGINS THE MOMENT YOU SECURE YOUR PARKING SPOT AND EMBARK ON YOUR JOURNEY.
THAT'S WHY WE WORK SO HARD TO BRING YOU THE MOST CONVENIENT PARKING SOLUTIONS THAT ARE THE BEST FIT FOR YOUR TRIP.
IF YOU'RE TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS OR LEISURE, WHETHER YOUR VOYAGE STARTS FROM BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL, OR WILLIAM P.
HOBBY AIRPORT, OUR PARKING TEAM AT VALET PARKING ECO PARK, ECO PARK TWO OR TERMINAL PARKING, IS HERE TO GIVE YOU A FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE WITH A BIG TEXAS SMILE.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU TO ENSURE THIS MOMENT AND EVERY MOMENT IN BETWEEN WILL BE FILLED WITH GREAT MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME.
[00:10:02]
SO, TRAVEL SMARTER, PARK SMARTER, AND GET MORE OF THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER.MAKE THE RIGHT CALL 2 1 1 3, 1 1 9 1 1.
FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SUCH AS AMBULANCE, POLICE, OR FIRE, THE FIRE HYDRANT IS GUSHING EVERYWHERE.
CALL 3 1 1 FOR CITY RELATED SERVICES, LIKE WATER LEAKS, TRAFFIC TICKETS, AND MORE.
I NEED HELP FINDING A NEW PLACE TO LIVE.
CALL 2 1 1 FOR ALL SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS, SUCH AS FOOD BANKS, HOUSING, SHELTER ASSISTANCE, HEALTHCARE AND CHILDCARE SERVICES.
MAKE THE RIGHT CALL, 2 1 1 3, 1 1 9 1 1.
YOU'RE A LOCAL, YOU'RE ONE OF US, AND WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A RICHER, MORE EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
WE'LL SHARE THE FOOD THAT WOWED NATIONAL COOKING SHOWS AND TAKE YOU TO THE ATTRACTIONS THAT PUT US IN TRAVEL AND LEISURE'S TOP 50 PLACES TO VISIT IN 2023.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE YOU OUT TO A BALL GAME TO SEE OUR WORLD SERIES CHAMPS.
WE COULD START BY TELLING YOU HOW SLEEK IT IS, HOW IT'S AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION IN ITS INDUSTRY, THAT IT MAKES CONNECTIONS FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT.
WE COULD PROMOTE THE FACT THAT EVEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS GIVE IT THE GREEN LIGHT, AND THAT IT MOVES SO QUICKLY.
WE HAD TO GIVE IT ITS OWN LANE.
OR YOU COULD JUST RIDE, DISCOVER WHERE THIS RAIL LIKE RIDE IS GOING NEXT.
YOU ARE WATCHING HTV, AND THIS IS FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
I'M LEX FRIEDEN, AND WE ARE HERE TODAY WITH MICHELLE CULVERT.
AND MICHELLE, NOW YOU, UM, OBVIOUSLY MANAGED TO GET THROUGH SCHOOL.
WHERE WHERE DID YOU GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE? OH, I WENT TO U OF H, UM, GRADUATED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY.
I, UM, I LIKE TO SAY I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE IN THE RIGHT TIME, AND, UM, WAS HIRED ON BY A RESEARCH PROJECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I STARTED OFF AS A VOLUNTEER ON A PROJECT RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LEMME TELL YOU, THAT WAS A CHALLENGING ROLE.
I, YOU KNOW, I ENDED UP, UM, BEING HIRED.
I WASN'T SURE IF I COULD DO IT, AND I WAS VERY HONEST WITH MY, WITH MY BOSS.
SO I THINK THIS IS AN OBJECT LESSON.
UM, YOU STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER.
YOU OFFERED TO, TO DO THE WORK FOR NO PAY, AND YOU PROVED YOU COULD DO IT, AND THEY RIGHT.
AND, UH, THAT INVOLVED GOING OUT TO THE DIFFERENT AREA, WOMEN'S SHELTERS, YOU KNOW, YOU NAME IT, HAWK, UM, PASADENA, FORT BEND, WEBSTER, UM, AND THEN WORKING, UM, GOING OUT WHEREVER THE FAMILIES, THE THE WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN WENT.
UM, WE WOULD GO OUT TO THEIR HOMES AND AS YOU KNOW, MANY OR MOST HOMES ARE NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE.
AND SO, SO, BUT, BUT LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING.
THEY HIRED YOU NOT BECAUSE YOU HAD A DISABILITY.
BUT DESPITE THE FACT YOU HAD A DISABILITY AND THEY HIRED YOU FOR THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE YOU HAD, KNOWING YOU COULD DO THE JOB AGAIN MM-HMM
I WAS ABLE NOW, I MEAN, I WAS TO SAY, I HAVE ALWAYS JUST KINDA HAD THIS ATTITUDE THAT I NEEDED TO WORK A LITTLE HARDER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S RIGHT.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST BEEN MY APPROACH, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, I THINK THAT, UM, I WAS ABLE TO PROVE MYSELF IN THAT SETTING.
AND I, AND YEAH, I, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A RISK AS WELL, AND I WAS, I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW? UM, WE WORKED OUT A PLAN, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD HAVE A RESEARCH ASSISTANT HELP PUSH ME UP A CURB, YOU KNOW? BUT ONCE YOU GOT THE JOB MM-HMM
YOU REALIZED, AS YOU SAID, SOME OF THESE FAMILIES ENCOUNTERED BARRIERS AS A RESULT OF DISABILITY.
YOU WITH YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, COULD HELP THEM.
AND, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY THIS.
I MEAN, SO MOST OF THE FAMILIES WEREN'T, DID NOT HAVE DISABILITIES THERE.
THE, THE, THE FOCUS OF THIS PARTICULAR RESEARCH PROJECT WAS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND THEY HAD TO HAVE CHILDREN THAT HAD BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, IN MANY CASES THE VIOLENCE THAT THEY WITNESSED.
AND, UM, IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD DO THAT WORK NOW, NOW THAT I'M, I'M A MOM,
UM, YOU KNOW, I LASTED LONGER THAN I THINK JUST ABOUT ANY OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW? UM, AND I THINK HAVING THE PERSPECTIVE, JUST THESE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND THE EMPATHY, YOU KNOW, UH, SO YOU BROUGHT SOMETHING TO THE JOB, RIGHT? I THINK SO.
WHERE DID YOU GO AFTER THAT? RIGHT.
AND I THINK RESILIENCE AS WELL.
UM, I HAD BROUGHT TO THE JOB
UM, AND AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, I DECIDED TO GO, GO INTO, LOOK AT MY MASTER'S IN THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I DID, I, I ENTERED THE MASTER'S PROGRAM.
UM, I ALSO BEGAN WORK AT UT, UM, AT,
[00:15:01]
IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL, UM, ON ANOTHER RESEARCH PROJECT, THIS ONE ON, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE.UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY AT THAT POINT, I WAS JUST GETTING A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, PERSPECTIVES, A LOT OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE SEEING AND MEETING PEOPLE MAYBE I WOULD NEVER NORMALLY MEET, YOU KNOW, UM, OR CROSS PATHS WITH.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT AGAIN, OPENED UP, YOU KNOW, MY EYES AND GAVE ME MORE EMPATHY, UM, WHILE I WAS WORKING ON MY MASTER'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
YOU KNOW, I, THAT IS A FIELD WHERE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIELDS IN THAT, IN PUBLIC HEALTH IS TO FOCUS ON, UM, POPULATIONS THAT ARE NOT WELL-SERVED, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND HEALTH.
AND I JUST NOTICED NOBODY WAS REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, YOU KNOW, AND THE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SECONDARY HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OFTEN HAVE AND THEIR RISK, AND THE LACK OF ANY KIND OF OUTREACH OR ANY AWARENESS ABOUT PREVENTIVE CARE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS DISABILITY, UH, DISABILITY POPULATION.
AND I REALLY COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
AND, UM, IT REALLY FRUSTRATED ME.
AND SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I FOUND THAT THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UM, WAS DOING THIS WORK.
PEG SEK, WHO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I JUST, I COLD CALLED HER, YOU KNOW, AND BASICALLY TOLD HER I WAS A FAN.
I FANGIRLED OUT ON HER AND ASKED FOR A JOB, AND SHE HIRED ME
AND AT SOME POINT, THE MAYOR APPOINTED YOU AS DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, OFFICE ON DISABILITIES IN HOUSTON.
ALTHOUGH BEFORE THAT, UM, HE HAD APPOINTED ME TO THE HOUSTON COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES.
UM, AND, UH, KIM KING WAS REALLY ONE OF MY MENTORS.
UM, AND SHE ENCOURAGED ME, UM, AND SHE, UH, I THINK SHE SAW SOMETHING IN ME, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, I'M TELLING YOU, I LEARNED SO MUCH ON THAT COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES.
AND THEN, UM, SHE ENCOURAGED ME TO CHAIR FOR IT, YOU KNOW, UH, TO BECOME THE CHAIR.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, ARE YOU SURE THAT I COULD DO THIS? I WAS SO YOUNG, YOU KNOW,
YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, I JUST, I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU BECOME, YOU KIND OF MAKE THAT POSITION.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU WILL, YOU KNOW, THE WHAT, WHAT WORK YOU PUT INTO IT ON THE COMMISSION.
SHE WAS, YEAH, SHE WAS, SHE WAS, SHE RAN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND SO WHEN SHE LEFT, YOU KNOW, I APPLIED, I APPLIED FOR HER, HER FOR THAT POSITION.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I, UM, WAS OFFERED THE POSITION AND, UH, GOSH, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST SUCH A, UM, AMAZING ROLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU JUST, YOU, YOU, YOU GO TO BED EVERY NIGHT REALIZING THAT YOU DID SOMETHING TO HELP SOMEBODY EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU KNOW? AND, BUT IT WAS SO BUSY.
I MEAN, I WORKED SUCH LONG HOURS, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY HELPING PEOPLE FROM IN EVERY WAY THAT YOU COULD THINK OF.
AND THAT REALLY BECAME VERY OBVIOUS, THE IMPACT THAT YOU CAN HAVE WHEN HURRICANE, UM, IKE HAPPENED THAT IKE OR HARVEY, I'M LOSING TRACK OF OUR HURRICANES NOW, HOLY IKE
AT THE TIME I WAS LIVING ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF A CONDO THAT HAD AN ELEVATOR, AND OF COURSE, WE HAD NO POWER, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY.
SO I WAS ESSENTIALLY TEMPORARILY HOMELESS, YOU KNOW? UM, SO YOU COULD EMPATHIZE WITH THE REST OF US YEAH.
SO, AND, UH, THEN I GOT A CALL FROM ANOTHER COLLEAGUE OF MINE WHO WORKED FOR THE MAYOR AS WELL, BUDDY GRANTHAM, AND SAID, WE NEED YOU AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THERE.
AND SO HOW'D YOU GET DOWN THE THREE FLIGHTS OF STEPS? WELL, I HAD ALREADY, I, I GOT CARRIED DOWN BY MY HUSBAND,
AND, UM, YEAH, I JUST WAS STAYING WITH DIFFERENT FRIENDS AND THEN DRIVING INTO THE GEORGE R. BROWN WORKING LONG HOURS.
AND THEN, UM, I REALIZED, OH, BOY, WE'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM HERE.
I MEAN, WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS, UM, A LITTLE BIZARRE.
WE HAD, UM, SOME WHEELCHAIRS THAT THE CITY HAD, UM, AND, UH, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THE GEORGE R. BROWN IS SO LONG.
SO YOU, YOU CHECKED IN AT EXHIBIT HALL A AND THEN YOU WENT ALL THE WAY TO EXHIBIT HALL D TO GET YOUR FOOD.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE, IF YOU WERE THERE, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE ARRIVING WITHOUT, WITHOUT THEIR WHEELCHAIRS.
THEY WERE ARRIVING WITHOUT THEIR BATTERIES FOR THEIR POWER CHAIRS.
UM, THERE, THERE WERE A LARGE GROUP THAT WERE DEAF, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SO YOU HAD YOUR HAND FULL.
AND I, AND THEN I HAD, UH, PEOPLE THAT WERE TAKING WHEELCHAIRS,
[00:20:01]
TALK MORE ABOUT THE ADVENTURES OF MICHELLE COBAR WHEN WE COME BACK.STAY TUNED, FIND OUT HOW THIS ENDS.
THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS COMING TOGETHER FOR A GREATER GOAL, AND OF REPRESENTS HOUSTON AS A WHOLE.
AND EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE, BUT SOMEHOW THAT'S KIND OF OUR THING.
THESE DIFFERENT PATCHES OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES, THEY BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE THAT INFLUENCES A LOT OF WHAT WE DO.
WE EMBRACE THE FUTURE, WE LEARN, WE GROW, WE EVOLVE.
AND WORK IS ONE TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE.
YOU ARE WATCHING FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
MICHELLE KOVAR IS OUR GUEST TODAY.
AND MICHELLE, WHEN WE BROKE, YOU WERE SOLVING THE WHEELCHAIR THEFT CRIME OF THE CENTURY DOWN AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN AFTER THE HURRICANE.
UH, DID YOU EVER FIND ALL THOSE WHEELCHAIRS THAT DISAPPEARED? OH, NO, OF COURSE NOT.
BUT WE, UM, ENDED UP, UM, PULLING RESOURCES TOGETHER FROM A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE HAD THEM SHIPPED IN FROM SAN ANTONIO FROM ALL OVER TEXAS SO THAT WE COULD GET SOME EXTRA CHAIRS.
AND THEN WE DEVELOPED A SYSTEM WHERE WE TRACK THOSE CHAIRS.
WE TRACKED ON THE SERIAL NUMBER BEFORE PEOPLE LEFT.
WE JUST MADE SURE THAT THEY WEREN'T LEAVING.
YOU KNOW, THE HOUSTON'S RESPONSE TO THAT DISASTER, IN MY OPINION, WAS THE, PROBABLY THE, THE CLEANEST EXAMPLE OF HOW TO DEAL WITH DISABILITY AFTER A STORM.
I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME MISSTEPS SINCE THEN, AND HOPE WE GET BACK ON TRACK.
UM, YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, AS WE SAID, MANY THINGS YOU'VE DONE IN DISABILITY ADVOCACY AMONG THEM.
UH, YOU PROMOTED THE, UM, THE, THE BIG SHOW THAT WE HAVE, THE EXPO, UHHUH
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? YES, I AM, UH, AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE ABILITIES EXPO, WHICH IS, UM, JUST AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR ANYBODY THAT HASN'T COME.
IT'S FREE, AND IT'S JUST THIS, UH, UM, INCREDIBLE BRINGING TOGETHER OF DIFFERENT, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT, EVERYBODY THAT'S IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU COULD TRY OUT WHEELCHAIRS AND WORKSHOPS, SO FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, ADVOCATES, PROFESSIONALS, EVERYTHING.
GOOGLE, UH, EXPO, DISABILITY EXPO, ABILITIES EXPO.
AND, UH, YOU'LL FIND OUT WHEN IT IS EACH YEAR.
IT'S USUALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME OR THE END OF THE SUMMER.
[00:25:01]
RIGHT.AND, UH, PLEASE JOIN US OUT THERE.
UH, MICHELLE, YOU WERE ALSO MISS WHEELCHAIR TEXAS, I WAS SAY, AND THAT'S THE ANSWER TO THE DAY'S, UH, TRIVIA QUESTION, BY THE WAY.
UH, MISS, MISS WHEELCHAIR TEXAS, MICHELLE CULVER, AND YOU'VE ALSO PROMOTED THAT PROGRAM AROUND THE STATE TOO, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, BUT THAT'S AN ADVOCACY POSITION AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A MODELING GIG, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S NO SWIMSUIT COMPETITION,
SO, UM, WHAT IT IS, IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, A WOMAN WITH DIS A DISABILITY TO BE A SPOKESPERSON, UM, OR A, YOU KNOW, A ROLE MODEL, IF YOU WILL, FOR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND TO REALLY BRING AWARENESS AND HIGHLIGHT, UM, ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND YOU'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES, YOU WERE THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
YOU'RE ON THE, UM, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION NOW.
WHAT OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU BEEN ENGAGED IN? OH, I'VE BEEN QUITE BUSY.
I'M ALSO, UM, INVOLVED IN MY, MY DAUGHTER'S LITTLE SCHOOL AS WELL.
UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, UM, OUR LITTLE AREA PARK, UH, NATURE PRESERVE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, WITH ALL OF THOSE ROLES, I BRING, UM, AN EYE OR A LENS OF ACCESSIBILITY AND THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEBODY WITH DISABILITY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AT MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO BRING IN INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.
AND YOUR, YOUR DAUGHTER IS HOW OLD? SHE'S SEVEN.
DOES SHE HAVE A DISABILITY? SHE DOES NOT.
AND YOUR HUSBAND WAS YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH A LONG TIME BEFORE YOU GUYS GOT MARRIED AND HAD A BABY, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
AND WE'VE BEEN MARRIED 25 YEARS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
SO
UM, AND, UH, YES, WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE CANCER CENTER IN THE WORLD, IN THE NATION, CERTAINLY.
AND, UH, WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP, WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE SO I'M SURE, UM, MICHELLE, THE, UM, THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN HOUSTON HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN ACTIVE VOICE.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S MORE THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN AND SHOULD BE DOING? ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, WE ARE A REALLY UNIQUE CITY THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THESE, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY SET, STEPPED EVERYTHING FORWARD FOR DISABILITY ADVOCACY IN OUR NATION.
UM, YOU FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS AS WELL, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS MORE THAT WE CAN DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU NAME IT, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, PARKING, UM, YOU NAME IT, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
SO WE'LL ALL JUST CONTINUE TO STAY BUSY.
WELL, AND SOME, YOU KNOW, WE NEED NEW LEADERS TOO.
UM, I, I CAN THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DID IN PARKING MM-HMM
NOW THAT'S SORT OF DRIFTED BY THE WAYSIDE AND MAYBE SOME, SOME OF THE, THOSE THINGS WE NEED TO GET BACK TO, BUT THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE NEW ENERGY, NEW LEADERS.
AND, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING WHO, UH, MIGHT ASPIRE TO BE THE NEXT, UH, MISS WHEELCHAIR TEXAS, OR THE NEXT MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, REALLY THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.
TAKE RISKS, YOU KNOW, TAKE CALCULATED RISKS.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US ALL.
UM, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A TENDENCY TO THINK MAYBE WE'RE GONNA GO SOMEWHERE THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT WANTED, OR AT LEAST I KNOW I HAVE FELT THAT WAY BEFORE AND I'VE BEEN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT MANY POINTS IN MY LIFE.
SO I WOULD ADD TO THAT, UH, FIND AN ORGANIZATION AND, AND JOIN IT AND YEAH.
UM, GET ENGAGED IN THE HOUSTON COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES.
UH, VISIT, UH, DISABILITY EXPO.
MICHELLE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR GUEST TODAY ON FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
IT'S A PLEASURE TALKING WITH YOU.
AS ALWAYS, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR WATCHING.
UH, I WANT TO THANK HTV FOR PUTTING THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER AND PUTTING IT ON THE AIR.
AND I HOPE YOU WILL ALL JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO HOST THE SHOW, AND I'M WISHING YOU A GREAT DAY.