This essay is an excerpt from Ricardo Thornton’s 2012 statement given before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Both Thornton and his wife Donna are diagnosed with mild intellectual disabilities. They met at Forest Haven, a state psychiatric institution in Washington DC. Thornton’s brother and sister also lived there, though the three were not informed they were siblings for “many years.” Thornton’s sister died there. Thornton recalls being institutionalized for his entire childhood. After moving from institution to institution, he was sent to Forest Haven in 1966, where he stayed until 1980.

In his speech, Thornton stresses the importance of giving disabled people the opportunity to participate fully in society rather than assuming they’re unable to:

When I lived in the institution, no one would have believed that I could have the life I have today—married with a son and grandchildren, a good job for thirty-five years, a driver’s license and a car, and opportunities to speak on behalf of Special Olympics International, Project ACTION!, and other advocacy organizations, which has taken me to places like Johannesburg and Alaska and across the country (85).

Thornton makes a point to advocate for those with both mild and severe intellectual disabilities.