July marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a major civil rights milestone led by California Rep. Tony Coehlo. Signed into law in 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in everyday activities, including employment, public services and voting. California is home to more than 7 million adults with disabilities and provides disability services to one in seven kids at schools.
On this week’s “In Focus SoCal,” host Tanya McRae meets Isaac Jean-Paul, a Paralympian who competes in track and field events in the visually impaired category.
When he was a toddler, Jean-Paul was diagnosed with juvenile retinoschisis, a rare congenital condition that left him with only 20% of his vision. Jean-Paul said that this didn’t stop him from pursuing his love of sports.
“Sports was my opportunity to feel normal. Whereas in school, other students would look at me because I couldn't finish my test on time, or I had enlarged textbooks. And that just made me uncomfortable because I just wanted to fit in and read like everybody else,” Jean-Paul said. “But when I got onto the field or to the basketball court, that's when I felt normal, because my athleticism was like it wasn't impacted by my disability. I was able to do everything that everybody else was doing, but even better."
In 2017, Jean-Paul made the Paralympic World Championship team and debuted in the high jump. He broke the world record three times during that meet, winning the gold medal. Jean-Paul is still the world record holder in his category. He became involved in Angel City Sports, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that provides year-round adaptive sports opportunities for kids, adults and veterans with physical disabilities. The organization was founded by Clayton Frech, whose son, Ezra, was born without his left knee and fibula, and only one finger on his left hand. Ezra received a prosthetic leg when he was just 11 months old and a running blade at 4.
“I think there’s a common stigma in society that people with disabilities are not capable in a variety of areas. And honestly, I think the adaptive sports and in particular the Paralympic Games, I think it’s an opportunity to really like change how the world sees disability,” Frech said.
Ollie Cantos, West Covina’s first blind councilmember, also joins “In Focus SoCal” this week to share his experience of growing up with a disability. The councilman said he was bullied as a kid, which made him try to hide his disability for the first 20 years of his life.
“But I later realized that it has nothing to do with the disability itself, but it has more to do with what people think of the disability,” Cantos said. “And so that is why I ultimately came to own the fact that I’m blind, and whenever people have any myths or misconceptions, I just figured, ‘Hey, that’s them.’ And it’s my job, through my own words, actions, and other efforts, to help change the old stereotypes about disability so that people can see us for what we truly are able to contribute in society.”
Cantos also shares his story of adopting triplet boys who are also blind. He met them when they were just 10 years old and helped them become more independent. In 2017, they became the first blind triplets to become Eagle Scouts.
“We had the fun of being able to show the world that anything is possible, and my sons continue to embody that philosophy to this day,” Cantos said.
McRae also sits down with Long Beach Councilwoman Mary Zendejas about how the city is working on becoming more accessible to individuals who have disabilities. Zendejas is working with local organizations to provide an evacuation chair in high-rise buildings.
“Me, being in downtown, we have a lot of high-rise buildings, and a person with a disability usually fears that one day, that something happens and that you would need an evacuation chair to be able to get somewhere safely without being in fear,” Zendejas said.
Watch the show every Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m., and send us your thoughts to InFocusSoCal@charter.com.