Pac Rim 2009 Info
Noted Speakers: Fernando Cruz
Polly Arango | Fernando Cruz | Frank De Lima | Frank DeRuyter | Katharina Heyer | Cinda and Linea Johnson | David Johnson | Robert Mcruer | Leolinda Parlin | Tanya and Michelle Ponich | Joseph Ray | Suzanne Robinson | Loretta Ross | Dr. Neil Scott | Howard C. Shane | Charlotte Smith | Bethany Stevens | Damon Terzaghi | Amy Wilson
Tuesday May 5th, 2009: 10:15 AM -11:15 AM in Room 306A,
on topic of New Voices: Independent Living and Indigenous/Native Issues
“Indigenous and Native Peoples Must Join Together”
We are the indigenous people of the Americas, from the mainland to the islands. Native people with disabilities share experiences and goals. We can move from the success of individuals, to building of community programs, to the united advocacy and activism of all indigenous Americans. We do not accept the first “no” as a final answer.
Biography: Fernando Cruz
Fernando Cruz, MSW, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation of Southern Arizona is presently employed as a Reintegration Program Coordinator for Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL), working with residents of nursing homes in the Phoenix and West valley area. Fernando has the personal experience of being a nursing home resident. Now a highly successful professional in the field, Fernando, works effectively with Native American consumers who face cultural barriers in addition to disability issues.
Fernando was diagnosed with Juvenal Rheumatoid Arthritis when he was eight years old, his primary disability. In 1993 he was diagnosed with Type-Two Diabetes, causing amputations of both legs, above the knees. Through all of this he has managed to focus on his goals, getting an education, getting a job and then buying his own home.
At the 2006 National Council on Independent Living Conference in Washington D.C. Fernando and his colleague Paula Grodecki were presented with the National Council on Independent Living Advocate of the Year for District 9, which includes the state of California, Nevada, Hawaii, Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands.
