WEBVTT

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>> My name is Patti Clay.

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I'm a mom, a sister, a daughter,
colleague, employer, supervisor.

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Who when I was around 23
started with a disability.

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By the time I was

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about mid-thirties
started using a wheelchair.

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>> Patti Clay is
the bureau chief

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of the Community Living
Division for the state

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of Connecticut's Department
of Rehabilitation Services.

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>> Work also has benefits of
offering an opportunity for me

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to show what I can do.

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It's very, it becomes
very difficult

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when the social messages
that you get all the time

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from various places, are that
you don't have a lot of value.

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That -- well look at
you, what can you do?

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I mean, I've had people
say that directly to me.

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Work provides me the opportunity
to at least demonstrate

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that I can do something other
than what people expect.

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And I enjoy it.

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>> Patti says everyone has
a different understanding

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of disability, however
assumptions can

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be discriminating.

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For instance, a few
comments she has gotten.

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>> Gee, do you think
you can do that job?

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That's a pretty stressful
job, you know.

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Pretty big job.

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I guess I am more shocked by the
people even in this building,

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many of whom I've worked
around for a very long time

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who will ask me questions like;

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"How many hours a
day do you work?"

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I'm like, "Which job?

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This one or the one I do to
moonlight and teach online

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at a graduate program,
you know, at a college?"

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>> Patti struggles with work
life balance like everyone else,

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including in the areas of
times she works, relationships

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with family and friends
and leisure activities.

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>> Truthfully, I don't think
I keep them in balance.

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Work probably dominants
because it's work and wages

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that allow me to
do other things.

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Family is wonderful, but I
have a very small family.

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And they're far flung so we
don't get together a lot.

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I felt very strongly about the
fact that family is family,

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they're not my caregivers.

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Because I don't drive

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and because I may require
some help while I'm

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out with someone I think
that's intimidating for people.

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And, not everybody
feels up to that.

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And I get that, you know.

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But it does limit
friendships a good deal.

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It's the rare person
who makes the effort

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to go the extra mile,
to be a friend.

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So, on my end of that I try to
make sure that I do ask people

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to do things, to go
out and do things.

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I try to do it in a way that
it's most convenient for them.

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I want to do what
everybody else does.

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I want to go hiking.

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I like to soar in
a glider plane.

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I like to go out on a boat.

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I like to sail.

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You know, any of
those kinds of things.

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Don't assume that I
wouldn't want to do it

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or it's not doable,
because I've done all of it.

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You just have to
figure out how to do it.

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>> Patti is retiring
in the Fall of 2017.