A Conversation with Skateboarder and Disability Advocate Daniel Mancina
From Daniel:
My name is Daniel Mancina, I am a father, a student, a skateboarder, and among many other things I am blind. I try my best to be a positive advocate for the blind and use my disability to help others by doing what is not expected from me. Many people know me as a blind skateboarder and I enjoy using my passion of skating to change the perceptions of the blind community. I have lost my sight gradually throughout my life due to a hereditary disease and have currently lost ninety five percent of my vision. It has been a wild ride and I have gained a lot of perspective in my life because of my blindness. I now focus on using my struggles as a way to motivate others and help myself grow into the strongest person that I can.
I will be at the Ann Arbor District Library on May 24th, in the down town multi purpose room for a presentation to spread my passion and motivation for living a fulfilled life.
I will be speaking about my struggles with blindness, from my internal struggles to my everyday life. I believe that we all have something in our lives that acts as a handicap. My handicap is just more noticeable than most peoples. Whether it is your unsatisfying job, a negative family, depression or anxiety, or a more physical disability, like with myself, we all have something that we struggle with. I have learned to use my disability in a positive way. I used to think that I had to change my dreams because I was going blind, but I have realized that unless I chase them I will never be satisfied. A life without challenge is boring, and accomplishments in life are that much more rewarding the more difficult they are. It took something as dramatic as my blindness to open my eyes to my true potential. I now focus on helping others recognize that their own struggles are a tool that can be used to improve their lives, it is just a matter of perspective.
