Carrie Writes
My Award
Carrie Barrepski

Last month, I had the honor of receiving the Paul Winske award from
the Stavros Center for Independent Living for my contribution to the disability
community through my Carrie Writes column. This award is usually given to an
individual or business that advocates for people with disabilities. Paul Winske
was a strong advocate for Stavros. He established the first “handicapped
parking patrol” in Western Massachusetts and also established awards for
businesses that improved their accessibility to the disabled population. The
event was held at the Delaney House in Holyoke with lunch served. The keynote
was a woman who spoke of her personal experiences with her disabilities. She
was Dr. Lisa Iezzoni, a professor at Harvard Medical School.

As a columnist, my objective is to help and inspire people to live their
best life while teaching the community about disability awareness. It is my
passion to use the written word to bring about positive change while empowering
others. Every column is written from my heart because that is where the real
writing begins. I have always believed that your heart will show you what you are
passionate about and how to express it. I also hope that my column is a strong
advocacy tool in fighting for the rights of disabled individuals. I draw on my
personal experiences and what is happening in the community around me to
voice my views on issues affecting the disabled population.

As I look forward, my goal is to strengthen my column to hopefully continuing to
raise awareness of disability issues while helping people cope with everyday life
from my experiences in yoga and life. I also plan to grow as an advocate while
speaking on the behalf of the disabled population, focusing on erasing the stigma
and teaching people to see the person rather than the disability.