Balger sold her artwork to raise funds to meet Depp while he was performing with his band in Austria in 2023. It was a “bucket list” item that came to fruition.
“A dream is something that you should believe in and not give up on,” Balger said.
Balger, along with others with disabilities, their family members and Montgomery County leaders, celebrated Friday in downtown Dayton during the fourth annual Disability Pride Rally, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Another speaker, Richard Conley, founded the Voices Matter self-advocacy group.
Conley said that when decisions are being made about the lives of people with developmental disabilities, people with disabilities need to have a seat at the table.
He once talked to workers at the Springfield Police Department on how best to communicate with people with disabilities. Conley has also provided training to Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County staff on how to best serve people with developmental disabilities.
“Every time I speak out or participate in an event to advocate for people with disabilities, I feel like it has made people more aware and more open-minded,” he said. “I think oftentimes people with disabilities are underestimated, so we are more than capable of contributing to making decisions.”
Joe Seifert, a 2018 graduate of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School and a Goodwill employee, also shared his story on Friday. Seifert has Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that impacts the part of a person’s brain that tells a person he or she is full. This has impacted what work opportunities are good fits for Seifert.
“This makes things hard, but I’m on medicine that helps me, but does not cure it,” he said.
Seifert said he has grown professionally because of job support programs that provide job coaches to people with disabilities.
“The world is definitely better when we support each other,” he said. “Having pride as a disabled person means to navigate through life’s challenges the best we can to the best of our abilities.”
Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services Superintendent Kamarr Gage said the board works to make the community more accessible.
This includes the agency’s efforts to introduce 23 universal changing tables to Montgomery County locations.
“All of these tables represent a huge win for our community in promoting equality and inclusion,” Gage said. “This project is truly changing lives.”
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