Participant Spotlight: Andrew

“Through self-direction, I can make decisions that best suit my lifestyle, personal interests and goals.”

Welcome to our Participant Spotlight Series, where we feature real stories of participants, who are choosing self-direction.

“Self-direction has allowed me to be the major decision maker in my own life,” says Andrew M. a 38-year-old college graduate who experiences cerebral palsy. “Through self-direction, I can make decisions that best suit my lifestyle, personal interests and goals.”

Andrew has used self-directed care for the past 17 years, which has enabled him to live an independent, fulfilling life filled with voice lessons, tutoring, yoga classes, serving as a docent for a local historical society, and as an usher during events at the Great Auditorium. He actively leverages his B.A. in Communications and uses many channels to advocate for people with disabilities – and is working toward a goal of moving those service efforts into a career in advocacy.

He shares, “The other care models I used in the past required an agency to make decisions for me. Self-direction fits my life and needs much better.” For Andrew, it’s the obvious choice and he wants others to know, “It empowers participants to be in control of the type of care and services they receive and to determine how they want to live within their own home and community.”