During Disability Awareness Week on Wednesday, Oct. 20, Madison College invited Matt Glowacki to help the audience understand who they are, why they are, and what they want to be.
“Your real identity is simply the story you tell yourself about yourself,” Glowacki said.
Glowacki was born without legs, but this didn’t stop him from living his life as a normal and highly effective person. He is an unusual man; he is an alert and highly intelligent person, flexible in his thinking, and very optimistic. Through his public speaking career, Glowacki spreads the seeds of hope in others’ souls for a better future for those who feel disabled. He shares his ideas about how to live a normal life from his perspective.
“I wanted to fit in be normal-what my version of normal was,” Glowacki said.
Glowacki played on the USA Paralympic Sitting Volleyball team for eight years and participated in the 2000 Paralympics in Australia.
Glowacki shared his life story through his book, Able-Bodied Like Me. He hopes his book helps others respect others’ perspectives and know that every human being is a special person. Every person on this earth has abilities and disabilities.
In Glowacki’s book, “Able-Bodied Like Me,” Glowacki leaves his audience with very important questions:
“In your relationships, do you find it easier to be the person people want and need you to be? How much of yourself are you willing to put aside to fit in with others?”
Glowacki tells his audience not to eliminate their abilities trying to fit in. Discover your abilities to help you adjust to your disabilities.