“There’s an opportunity for everyone. If you let them try, you’re gonna always learn something new from a person with a disability that you never thought they could do.”
Transcript
Ben McCarthy: As an athlete, you're just always like, “Wow, I’m gonna show them what I can do. Basically, if you don't think I can do this, I’m gonna show you right now, I can do it.”
Host: This is Keep Moving Forward.
George H.W. Bush: Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.
Host: Exploring the legacy and promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Ben McCarthy: My name is Ben McCarthy. I have from ADHD to hearing loss. Right now I’m coaching track for Special Olympics. I’ve seen shifts since I’ve coached. I’ve seen people go, “I thought I couldn’t do this.” I’ve just said, “Hey, try this and see what you think.” And I've actually seen some athletes keep doing it every year.
It's one of those great moments you get just as a coach stepping in their shoes, like, “Oh wow, I made an impact on this person's life.” You don’t have to say, “My child's not good for this.” There's an opportunity for everyone. If you let them try, you’re gonna always learn something new from a person with a disability that you never thought they could do.
Host: Keep Moving Forward is supported by The Minnesota Council on Disability, The Minnesota Humanities Center and the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, online at Ampers.org.