Jerry Stein Memorial Independent Living Award

By Kim Vuong, PRC-Saltillo Blogger

Hello, my name is Kim Vuong, and some of you may know me already, since I’m an ambassador for AAC. I work as a speech aide at the  Tichenor Orthopedic Clinic in Long Beach, Calif. and I also serve on the Citizen’s Advisory Commission on Disabilities in Long Beach, and  on the board of trustees for Harbor Regional Center in nearby Torrance. 

I also am a person with cerebral palsy who uses the Accent 800 integrated speech device as one of my communication tools in my work.

In August, I got an opportunity to utilize the device in a different sort of setting--a  virtual banquet put on by the Disabled Resources Center, a Long Beach organization.  DRC honored me as the recipient of the Jerry Stein Memorial Independent Living Award, which recognizes the career and volunteering achievements of people with disabilities. I had prepared to give an acceptance speech in person, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to hold the event online instead.  Even so, it still was a wonderful event. 

I’d like to share my speech with you. 

Hello everybody,

I am very honored to receive this award and to be among such great honorees.  

I want to thank Heather Van Wijk and the disabled resource center for nominating me for the Jerry Stein Award.  

This award stands for all the things that I believe in and fight for every day to be more independent. I believe that all disable people should have the resources and tools available to work towards living independently. 

For many years, I’ve worked hard to build a career and achieve my dream of being in a position where I could help others with disabilities.  I found that the best way to achieve my professional aspirations was to start as a volunteer. I know that some people might not believe that volunteering will lead to getting a job, but I found that it enabled me to show what I was capable of doing, and that I was willing to work hard and learn what I needed to succeed. 

That’s why my advice to people with disabilities who look for a job is to volunteer first.  This way, you open yourself up to possibilities you never knew were there or that you were capable of. 

But for a disabled person to succeed, it’s especially important to have someone who’s willing to believe in your potential, despite the challenges you face. I’d like to thank the Tichenor Clinic for giving me the opportunity to show my skills and to Lori DeLaney for giving me the opportunity to grow with Tichenor and in valuing my input on programs for helping out children grow. 

 In addition, thank you to all the commissioners that joined me tonight in supporting me with this honor.   Finally, I would like to thank my partner Brian for all the craziness and long hours he has had to put up with, and my mom and my brother for coming to hear my acceptance speech. 

In my blog posts, I hope to write about a lot of different disability-related issues, including assistive technology and how it can improve people’s lives. I think I can provide an interesting perspective on all of this, because I deal with these issues myself in my everyday life, in addition to helping others with their challenges in my work. I’m also eager to get input from readers and to hear your ideas. You can reach me at kimvuong1974@gmail.com.