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I was born in Olympia in 1983, seven years before the passage of the Americans with Disability Act. July 26 marks the 30th anniversary of this hard-fought piece of civil rights legislation, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in schools, transportation, jobs and public spaces. As an infant and toddler, I received early intervention services and vision therapy. These services were the introduction to the message I would receive throughout my childhood — if I just worked hard enough, I could fix my vision (not true!), overcome my disability and be just like a normal kid. Consequently, I pretended I could see things I couldn’t. I tried not to tilt my head at “weird” angles, hold things too close, use large print or binoculars, or ever ask for help. I spent 33 years trying to fake being normal, and it was exhausting.” Continue reading this article by Anna Zivarts at the Seattle Times.