One out of Five- Angelina’s (A.J.’s) Story

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Narrator: One out of Five Disability history and Pride Project.

Narrator: A young girl on the floor of her bedroom arranging things beside her bed. A large blue mermaid on her wall

Angelina: I felt like I was always the person, I don’t know what the saying is but I’m like the person looking in, wishing I was a part of everything, but I wasn’t.

I’m Angelina and I’m 12 in sixth grade.

Narrator: Angelina eats breakfast in the kitchen with family members nearby

Agelina: I live in Ferndale, Washington.

Narrator: A single-family home in a quiet neighborhood

Angelina: I have two cats and two dogs.

Narrator: Angelina pours cat food into a bowl

Angelina: And then, we have fifteen brothers and sisters, but not all live with us.

Narrator: A wall of family photos. Angelina’s brother points to people of different ages, races, and abilities

Angelina’s Brother: My sister’s sister, and that’s my brother, that’s my brother who’s not here.

Angelina: A lot of the times it’s kinda hectic. I’m sorry to say, but it really is.

Angelina’s Brother: The hard thing is getting out the door.

Angelina: I kind of walk differently. Because of my disability, I move my hips from side to side like this when I am walking, but I don’t mean to.

Narrator: An adult puts a pink wheelchair in a car. Angelina climbs in afterwards

Angelina: I have a wheelchair, and I have a walker, and I have forearm crutches coming.

I’ve gone through mainstreams schools since I was in kindergarten.

Narrator: Surrounded by kids with backpacks, Angelina gets into her wheelchair.

Angelina: What was there was just a lot of drama. People say really mean things about you. [Pauses] Yeah, they were about my disability. What I’ve experienced is people saying that I can’t do things because I have a disability.

Narrator: Angelina pushes towards a row of numbered doors. Next, her wheelchair empty outside a doorway.

Angelina: The grownups at my school wouldn’t do anything about it. It just really hurt me. [pauses] I think that my parents were just done and thought it would be good to do homeschool.

 Those kids didn’t understand that that I could do the things they could and they just needed to give me a chance to try to be their friend and I can be their friend.

[optimistic instrumental music]

Narrator: Angelina exits a classroom and gets back in her wheelchair

Angelina: I can do things even if you think that I can’t. I go to a school called “MP3”.

Narrator: An awning with lettering: “MP3.” A sign reads “Meridian Parent Partnership Program.”

Angelina: It’s a homeschool program. We go two days a week and then three days at home.

Narrator: Angelina pushes to class with friends. Next a classmate holds the door as she enters on foot.

Angelina: They are they are the nicest people I could ever meet. It’s really accessible and everyone can get around, not just people who can walk on their two feet.

Narrator: Angelina working with others in a computer class.

Angelina: I do this class where you’re learning about computers. It’s not like, really like, easy stuff you might learn. It’s like inside the computer and like about like apps and stuff like that and like how they work.

Teacher: If I wanted to make this the hyper link, I would add my “A” tags in between.

Angelina: My second class is drama.

Narrator: Angelina interacts in a circle with her classmates.

Angelina: It’s about speaking in front of a class and like performing.

Narrator: Angelina talks with a classmate.

Narrator: Have you ever been to either of them?

Classmate: I been to New York

Narrator: Her eyes widen

Classmate: I was really really really little. I couldn’t even, I was like to two and can’t remember.

Angelina: That’s so cool!

Narrator: Angelina with her family and friends at the mall.

Angelina: When I grow up, I want to be a criminal defense lawyer. I like solving mysteries. [pauses]  It’s going to be hard, so I just need to do what makes me happy and then own it. Feel good.

Narrator: Produced by Rooted in Rights and the Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds. We Listen. We Inform. We Help solve problems.