Focusing on What People Can Do: Monnie’s Bold Life
By Mosaic standards, Monnie is a celebrity. He has been featured in at least three videos over the years and his photo has been in our magazine many times. While his full name is James Hall, at Mosaic, his quasi-celebrity status puts him in the rarified air of those stars for whom one name is sufficient: Monnie.
It’s a perfect role for outgoing Monnie, who wants to be on the Ellen Show someday.
Monnie has received services from Mosaic for more than two decades. He has been pushing boundaries all along.
Using his assisted communications tool, Monnie has let staff members know what he wants, and what he expects. He has helped Mosaic become a better service provider.
“I believe everybody should be an advocate for themselves, whether they have a disability or not,” Monnie has said.
Monnie leads a self-advocacy group for people with disabilities to help them learn how to speak up and speak out. He not only advocates for himself, but has visited with state representatives to advocate for all people with disabilities.
His message: focus on what people can do, rather than on what they cannot do.
For Monnie, that’s led to creating an online business where he sells hand-made wreaths. You can see his work online here. It’s just one more side of the bold life that Monnie leads.
March is National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and the best way to celebrate is to share stories of the bold lives of the people served by Mosaic.
Their stories are important, especially right now. Congress is considering a bill that would seriously limit the Medicaid funding available for people with disabilities, people like Monnie. It is a serious threat to their health and well-being.
We urge congress to take a page from Monnie’s book and focus on what people with disabilities can do.