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Charlie’s Story: Advocacy That Started at Home

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Charlie is a father and community advocate. His journey into advocacy began with his son Andy, who was born with Down syndrome nearly 50 years ago. Like many parents, Charlie and his wife were learning along the way. They focused on helping Andy grow, learn, and be part of everyday life.

“We didn’t really know what we were doing when Andy was born,” Charlie has shared. “We just said we were going to try to make life as normal as possible and help him be part of everything.”

As Andy grew up, Charlie and his wife helped him build independence through simple daily routines. The goal was always to help him build confidence and stay connected to the world around him.

Andy’s Life Today

Today, Andy lives an active life in the community. He has worked at a local Publix grocery store for more than 20 years. Many customers know him and look forward to seeing him at work. His job gives him purpose and keeps him connected to people in his community.

Andy lives at home but has his own space upstairs where he relaxes, talks with friends, and enjoys his routines. Charlie jokes that one of his main jobs in retirement is driving Andy to and from work. It is a daily routine that keeps Andy active and involved.

Finding the Power of Community Programs

A key part of Charlie’s work began with a small recreation program in Homewood, Alabama. It began as an after-school activity where people with developmental disabilities could play sports and spend time together. Families quickly saw how important it was.

As the program grew, it became clear that more space and support were needed. Charlie stepped in to help raise funds and build something that would last. What began as a small effort eventually became the Exceptional Foundation.

“What started as a small program kept growing because families needed it,” Charlie says. “Now it’s a place where people can come every day, stay active, and be part of a community.”

Today, the Exceptional Foundation serves more than 100 participants each day in a 36,000-square-foot facility. It offers a full-day adult program four days a week, along with recreation programs, after-school activities, and summer programs that help people stay active and connected.

As the organization expanded, leaders focused on keeping programs safe and sustainable. The foundation serves individuals who can take part in group activities with some independence, allowing staff to support many participants at once.

Stepping Into Advocacy

Charlie’s involvement with the Exceptional Foundation eventually led him to serve on the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities. In that role, he contributed to conversations about services, programs, and policies that support individuals and families across the state.

He never set out to become an advocate. He simply responded when there was a need.

“If someone asks for help building something that helps people, you step up and do what you can,” Charlie says.

Charlie has seen many changes over the years. When Andy was born, there were fewer programs and fewer supports for families. Today, there are stronger networks and more opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to be active members of their communities.

Andy’s life reflects that progress. He works, stays connected with friends, and takes part in community events. 

Charlie’s story shows what advocacy can look like over time. It begins with family, it grows through community, and it can continue across generations.

David: A Clear Voice for Advocacy

David was born in Tuscaloosa, where music shaped his life from the very beginning. His biological father was a musician who lived in another state but would often visit. During those visits, they made music together, and his father would sometimes bring him new tapes or musical equipment, like a keyboard. 

“Music’s been my life,” David says. From an early age, it gave him direction, discipline, and a way to express himself.

When he was four, he moved to Maryland, but Tuscaloosa always remained home in his mind. He had always planned to return, and in 2009, he did. After moving back, David enrolled at the University of Alabama to study music. He joined the Afro-American Gospel Choir and became head musician in 2013. He continued in that role long after graduation. Today, he also serves as music director at Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, where he leads, arranges, and supports other musicians.

Diagnosis, Identity, and Self-Understanding

David was born blind due to optic nerve hypoplasia. Near the end of his time at the University of Alabama, he was also diagnosed with autism. When he received the diagnosis, he said, “I knew it. That makes me feel a lot better.”

The diagnosis gave him language for experiences he had struggled to explain. As a child, he had strong texture sensitivities with food. That required patience and creative problem-solving from his mother and teachers. More broadly, the diagnosis helped him understand his thinking style, communication preferences, and need for predictability.

Early Support and Foundations

Independence for David developed over time. With support from family and early educators, including his preschool teacher Betsy Williams, he began building strong foundations early on.

David remembers Miss Betsy as more than a teacher. Along with her co-teacher, Kim Wenth, she created a caring environment that helped him navigate early challenges and build confidence. Miss Betsy’s recent passing deeply touched him. Shortly before she passed, David shared a tribute on Facebook dedicating the song “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston to her.

Technology and Daily Life

Today, David manages his own schedule and finances. He uses assistive technology daily, including JAWS and NVDA screen readers, along with an Apple Watch and AirPods to communicate and stay organized. He records and produces music using Logic Pro on a Mac.

Self-advocacy is part of that independence. When his apartment complex was planning to replace carpet with hard flooring, David explained that carpet helps him distinguish rooms by sound and feel. Management ended up replacing the carpet with new carpet as a resolution.

From Music to Leadership

While studying at the University of Alabama, David began in music therapy. He later switched to a general music degree with a minor in sociology. 

More recently, David became the acting director of People First, an organization led by and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After longtime director Susan Ellis passed away, the organization faced funding cuts and instability. David stepped in to keep the work moving.

His focus has been practical. He is pursuing grants, building partnerships, and strengthening ties with broader advocacy networks. He wants the organization to be stable and sustainable.

Advocacy in Practice

David stays active in his community. He participates in advocacy training, attends public events, and supports others navigating complex systems. He also continues to lead through music. Singing at church and directing the gospel choir helps him build connections and visibility.

His journey reflects the spirit of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month: people with disabilities have always been part of our communities. They are leaders today. And they will continue shaping what comes next.

Cordairo: Speaking Up, So Others Can Move Forward

Cordairo grew up in Monroeville, Alabama, in a close-knit community where everyone knew one another. His grandmother and great-grandmother raised him, while his mother worked to support the family. It was a close household, and that support system shaped how he approaches life.

When he was 16, he was in a four-wheeler accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He fractured bones in his neck and spent weeks in the hospital. Early on, he needed a ventilator to breathe and developed pneumonia. After leaving the hospital, he had to relearn everyday tasks like feeding himself and getting dressed.

Over time, he regained strength in his arms. In 2005, he received a Baclofen pump to manage severe muscle spasms, which increased his comfort and independence. Today, he manages most aspects of his daily life independently, including scheduling appointments, ordering supplies, and managing his finances.

He sees independence as something that develops gradually. For him, it begins with mindset.

“If your mind doesn’t evolve, you don’t evolve,” he explains.

From Personal Experience to Public Policy

In 2013, he testified at the Alabama State Capitol about Medicaid expansion and its impact on people with disabilities. That experience showed him how personal stories can influence policy decisions.

He later became involved with the Alabama Council of Developmental Disabilities, focusing on practical policy issues that affect daily life. One area he worked on was reducing delays in wheelchair repairs.

“Your wheelchair is your freedom,” he shares.

When repairs take too long, people can miss work, school, and medical appointments. Loaner chairs often don’t fit properly and may cause discomfort. Cordairo and other advocates met with lawmakers to explain how these delays affect real people. Their efforts contributed to legislation aimed at improving the repair process.

Expanding Advocacy to Criminal Justice Reform

More recently, he has focused on supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who become involved in the criminal justice system. Through advocacy training, he learned how policy works and how to engage effectively with legislators. During that process, he noticed a gap: there was no clear, accessible information for people with IDD who are leaving jail or prison.

He is now developing a resource guide that will outline legal rights, voting eligibility, available services, and how to reconnect with community supports. It will also include information on job training and disability services that can help reduce the likelihood of returning to the system.

“You already have a strike against you,” he says. “But you still have rights. You still have access. People just need to know where to look.”

Building Change, Step by Step

For Cordairo, advocacy is about improving systems in practical ways. It’s about making sure policies reflect how people actually live. He focuses on what can be changed and continues building from there.

Cordairo’s journey reflects this year’s Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month theme, WE’RE HERE. THEN, NOW, ALWAYS. 

From lived experience to policy change, people with disabilities have always been part of our communities, are active contributors today, and will continue shaping what comes next.