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When I was born prematurely, weighing only about two pounds, my family was given a very uncertain picture of what my future would look like. I was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a lifelong developmental disability that affects my movement and mobility. I use a power wheelchair and need assistance with certain parts of everyday life, but my disability does not determine my intelligence, my ability to understand the world around me, or what I can accomplish.

When I was young, my mom was told that I would never understand anything and that I would have very limited abilities. Those were powerful words for a parent to hear, but they did not become my story. Throughout my life, I have continued to overcome expectations that other people placed on me. I learned to communicate, make my own decisions, express my opinions, advocate for myself, and become actively involved in my community. There have been obstacles along the way, but each one has helped me become more determined to make sure that people with disabilities are seen for their abilities and potential rather than assumptions about what they cannot do.

My experiences have also taught me how important it is for people with disabilities to have a voice in decisions that affect their own lives. I know firsthand what it is like to depend on accessible transportation, healthcare, support services, caregivers, and community programs in order to maintain independence. I also understand how frustrating it can be when barriers or decisions made by others limit someone’s ability to participate in their community. Those experiences are a major reason advocacy has become such an important part of my life.

Over the years, I began turning those experiences into action. I became involved in disability advocacy, speaking up about issues such as transportation, Medicaid and waiver services, caregiver support, employment, healthcare, accessibility, and independent community living. I have also spent years volunteering as a guest guide at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, where I have had the opportunity to help thousands of patients, visitors, and families. I became an author as well, publishing my book The Long Shift. Each of these experiences helped me discover more about myself and what I wanted to do with my life.

For a long time, I knew that I wanted to help people, but I didn’t always know exactly what that would look like. Eventually, everything started coming together. The challenges I had experienced, the advocacy work, the people I had met, and the lessons I had learned all pointed me in the same direction. I realized that what I had once viewed simply as obstacles in my own life could become experiences that allowed me to help someone else.

I had found my calling.

That calling led me to become the President and Founder of Community Freedom Alliance. I created this organization because I want people with disabilities and their families to have somewhere to turn when they are trying to navigate services, find resources, advocate for themselves, become more independent, or simply figure out where to begin. I want Community Freedom Alliance to help bridge the gaps that I have personally experienced throughout my own life.

When I think about where my story began and where I am today, it means even more to me. I went from being a child whose mother was told that I would never understand anything to becoming an advocate, volunteer, published author, nonprofit founder, and someone determined to make a difference in his community. I don’t share that story because I believe everyone with a disability has to prove something. I share it because assumptions about a person’s disability should never be used to determine the value of their voice or the possibilities for their future.

My diagnosis of cerebral palsy will always be part of my story, but it is only one part of who I am. The experiences that came with it helped me discover my purpose. Today, I want to use that purpose to open doors, break down barriers, connect people with resources, and help create communities where people with disabilities have the opportunity to make their own choices and live the lives they want.

For me, Community Freedom Alliance is more than an organization. It represents where I have been, what I have overcome, what I have learned, and where I believe I am meant to go next.

Frank Huffman Jr.

Executive Director