Stedman Graham challenges Americans with disabilities to work toward independent lives

From The Tribune-Review in Pittsburgh:

Long before he wrote his books, gave speeches and was linked to the a certain media maven, Stedman Graham (pictured) was the brother of two siblings with mental disabilities.

He challenged Americans with disabilities on Nov. 12 to establish their own identities in their homes and workplaces.

"Rather than having the world define who you are, define yourself," said Graham, 58, the keynote speaker at the 58th National Convention of the Arc of the United States in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. "You are the one who chooses your identity."

About 800 people are attending the conference, themed "Inspiring Innovation: With Adversity Comes Opportunity," which wraps up Saturday

Arc is making improving health care options for the mentally disabled its priority for 2010, said President Lynne A. Cleveland. One initiative the organization hopes will gain momentum is the so-called "Class Act," a provision of the health care overhaul being considered in Congress. It would work similarly to a public insurance system, to help cover long-term care for the disabled throughout their working life.

"They need to be given more thought, more of a voice in this whole heath care debate," Cleveland said. "In this economic climate ... people are forgetting them."

Graham, a close friend of Oprah Winfrey and chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates, recalled growing up in a largely black New Jersey town surrounded by a cluster of white communities in the 1950s and 1960s during the civil rights movement.

Mental disabilities at that time were stigmatized, so much so that the entire Graham family was branded as stupid, he said. But he said he used that negative energy to motivate him to succeed in school, on the basketball court and in every other aspect of life.

Graham said his brothers taught him dedication and perseverance and "the ability to perform everything I do at the highest level."

Many people with mental retardation require long-term services or care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the average lifetime cost for one person with mental retardation is about $1 million. Direct medical costs, such as doctor visits, prescription drugs and inpatient hospital stays, make up 14 percent of the cost.