When Nick started middle school, his school bus route took over two and a half hours. A hardworking student with cerebral palsy, Nick often relies on a wheelchair for assistance, and his bus route was chosen to ensure he had a bus that was wheelchair accessible. But the two-and-a-half-hour bus route meant that Nick would show up to school late, tired, and unable to perform to his full academic potential. His mother repeatedly reached out to the NYC Public Schools’ Office of Public Transportation (OPT) to request a bus route that could get her son to school in a safe and timely manner, but was frustrated with how difficult it was to get in touch with anyone, and how few solutions seemed to be available. That’s when Advocates for Children came in.
"The help was invaluable because after so many frustrated attempts to connect with OPT, I finally had someone who would listen and affect change on any level. Without AFC I felt powerless.”
Nick's mother
With the help of AFC, Nick and his family were able to work with OPT each school year to find a bus route that was both accessible and timely. With the new, more reasonable commute, Nick was able to put his energy directly toward his studies, stay focused, and engage with his work in and out of school. In addition to all of Nick’s academic successes, he is especially proud of the work that he has done as part of New York City’s Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council (CSAC), a team of NYC youth activists and DOE stakeholders advocating for NYC public high school students. Nick was the first District 75 student to be on the council!
This past spring, Nick graduated from Millennium High School’s District 75 program and will be attending Syracuse University in the fall as part of InclusiveU. At Syracuse, Nick plans to pursue a degree in Disability Studies, working towards a career where he can continue advocating for the inclusivity of all people.
“The reason why I advocate is to give people who are unable to advocate for themselves a voice. I try to use my experiences to show others the barriers the disability community faces,” said Nick. “I want to inspire the next generation.”
"The reason why I advocate is to give people who are unable to advocate for themselves a voice. I try to use my experiences to show others the barriers the disability community faces. I want to inspire the next generation.”
Nick