Michelle Boisot
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE ON BEING BEN'S SISTER 12/10/01
Last month at the annual TASH conference in Anaheim, California, my fifteen-year-old daughter, Michelle, received the
Cal-TASH “Mary Falvey Outstanding Young Person Award,” for her leadership in the field of inclusion of people with
disabilities.
The award nomination was made by Dr. June Downing, President of Cal-TASH, and came as a complete surprise to
Michelle. She is so humble about her accomplishments, and is kind of a quiet force that has great influence in changing
attitudes and direction of the lives whose paths she crosses – including her brother’s and mine.
The following interview was hard for Michelle, and she struggled with finding the right words. Her life is such a profound
example of inclusion and acceptance, and she doesn’t realize how important her life’s example is.
Everyday she lives and breathes what most of us took many years to discover.
The world is in good hands with Michelle.
Q. When you think of your brother, what comes to mind?
A. That’s a good question. I think he has a really good influence on me. In general, I think of how much Ben has
probably influenced the way I treat other people, and he has helped me understand what is important in life. He judges
no one. He doesn’t care what people wear or what they look like. He has given me the ability to feel good about myself,
and not feel pressured by peers to be something I’m not. I don’t like when the “cool” kids judge other kids because their
clothes aren’t fashionable, they look different, or their hair isn’t stylish. I will never be one of the “cool” kids because
they are not so cool anyway.
Q. Is it hard being Ben’s sister?
A. Sometimes. It’s hard when my brother and I are in say, a Blockbuster, and I run into someone from school that
doesn’t know I have a brother with disabilities. People don’t always know what to say to Ben and me. So, to avoid those
uncomfortable situations; I do what I can to lay the groundwork by making Ben the subject of my reports at school, I tell
people in advance that I have a brother with disabilities and I love him a lot, and I plan Abilities Awareness events so the
kids at school better understand. This way no one is surprised, and I don’t have to explain that Ben is just my little
brother. They will just know he is.
Q. What do you worry about most?
A. I worry about something happening to my family – a death. I am really close to my mom. If something happened to
mom, I guess I would take care of Ben and I wouldn’t be able to talk to her and tell her my problems about life.
Q. What do you hope to do with your life?
A. I hope to do a lot of things. I want to stop global warming, make a peaceful world, save endangered species of
animals and stop animal abuse, promote adoption of orphaned children, educate the world about overpopulation, and
find a way to create appreciation amongst everyone for people of all colors, abilities, religions, and culture.
Q. Do you think that your life would be different if Ben wasn’t your brother?
A. I wonder if I would be one of those kids that use the word “retard,” and who doesn’t care about the feelings of
others? I hate that. I appreciate everyone. Everyday, the challenges and obstacles I face are not like those my friends
face. Because Ben is in my life, I know how to handle problems, and don’t get overwhelmed, like most teenagers do.
Also, I would never have met the great people I have met, like Gloria and June (Cal-State Northridge), the movie star
Laura San Giacomo, Tony ( Ben’s inclusion teacher), Jan Ross (Ben’s vision teacher) and Jim Ross (Ben’s social
worker) Kim (Alpha Resource Center), Nora (Paul’s mom) and my new friend Rebecca from school. I would never have
met all the good people that have become Ben’s friends. He could have been put in an institution, and those friends
would never have existed. That is hard to think about.
Q. What do you hope for Ben?
A. I want him to communicate. It is really hard for me to think about having all the same worries, concerns, thoughts,
dreams and opinions that I have now, but being unable to communicate them to people. So, I know he thinks about a lot
of the same things I do, and someday he will be able to tell people about what he thinks.
I want Ben to have a home of his own when he grows up and to do the things he likes to do. I want him to continue to
succeed in school and when he graduates from school, I hope he can do whatever he wants – get a job, to have friends
and just be who he wants to be. He will want to be independent of mom and me. I know he will.
Q. Do you worry about Ben?
A. Yeah, I do. But, we take good care of him, and we make sure he stays healthy and is seen by all the right doctors. I
don’t worry too much. But this summer right before he went into the operating room to have his hip surgery I was really
worried. I didn’t want anything to happen to him and I was scared I would never see him again.
Q. What is your vision for the world?
A. I want to go out to the Blockbuster, to the grocery store, to the mall, and see that the world accepts everyone no
matter who they are – that it be normal for Ben to be in those places and that I see all the other Ben’s of the world there
too.
Q. How do you expect to influence the change in society that will make your vision a reality?
A. I think by expressing acceptance of everyone, by being a positive role model for others and by being an advocate for
the inclusion of people with disabilities. I think I should have a talk with our Governor (California) because he doesn’t
understand the vision for inclusion, or even give it a second thought. It is very sad, because it is about everyone, not
just people with disabilities.
Q. What matters most to you?
A. My family, friends and pets.
Q. Where do people with disabilities belong in the world?
A. The answer is so simple. People with disabilities belong with everyone else, and I don’t understand what is taking so
long.
Last month at the annual TASH conference in Anaheim, California, my fifteen-year-old daughter, Michelle, received the
Cal-TASH “Mary Falvey Outstanding Young Person Award,” for her leadership in the field of inclusion of people with
disabilities.
The award nomination was made by Dr. June Downing, President of Cal-TASH, and came as a complete surprise to
Michelle. She is so humble about her accomplishments, and is kind of a quiet force that has great influence in changing
attitudes and direction of the lives whose paths she crosses – including her brother’s and mine.
The following interview was hard for Michelle, and she struggled with finding the right words. Her life is such a profound
example of inclusion and acceptance, and she doesn’t realize how important her life’s example is.
Everyday she lives and breathes what most of us took many years to discover.
The world is in good hands with Michelle.
Q. When you think of your brother, what comes to mind?
A. That’s a good question. I think he has a really good influence on me. In general, I think of how much Ben has
probably influenced the way I treat other people, and he has helped me understand what is important in life. He judges
no one. He doesn’t care what people wear or what they look like. He has given me the ability to feel good about myself,
and not feel pressured by peers to be something I’m not. I don’t like when the “cool” kids judge other kids because their
clothes aren’t fashionable, they look different, or their hair isn’t stylish. I will never be one of the “cool” kids because
they are not so cool anyway.
Q. Is it hard being Ben’s sister?
A. Sometimes. It’s hard when my brother and I are in say, a Blockbuster, and I run into someone from school that
doesn’t know I have a brother with disabilities. People don’t always know what to say to Ben and me. So, to avoid those
uncomfortable situations; I do what I can to lay the groundwork by making Ben the subject of my reports at school, I tell
people in advance that I have a brother with disabilities and I love him a lot, and I plan Abilities Awareness events so the
kids at school better understand. This way no one is surprised, and I don’t have to explain that Ben is just my little
brother. They will just know he is.
Q. What do you worry about most?
A. I worry about something happening to my family – a death. I am really close to my mom. If something happened to
mom, I guess I would take care of Ben and I wouldn’t be able to talk to her and tell her my problems about life.
Q. What do you hope to do with your life?
A. I hope to do a lot of things. I want to stop global warming, make a peaceful world, save endangered species of
animals and stop animal abuse, promote adoption of orphaned children, educate the world about overpopulation, and
find a way to create appreciation amongst everyone for people of all colors, abilities, religions, and culture.
Q. Do you think that your life would be different if Ben wasn’t your brother?
A. I wonder if I would be one of those kids that use the word “retard,” and who doesn’t care about the feelings of
others? I hate that. I appreciate everyone. Everyday, the challenges and obstacles I face are not like those my friends
face. Because Ben is in my life, I know how to handle problems, and don’t get overwhelmed, like most teenagers do.
Also, I would never have met the great people I have met, like Gloria and June (Cal-State Northridge), the movie star
Laura San Giacomo, Tony ( Ben’s inclusion teacher), Jan Ross (Ben’s vision teacher) and Jim Ross (Ben’s social
worker) Kim (Alpha Resource Center), Nora (Paul’s mom) and my new friend Rebecca from school. I would never have
met all the good people that have become Ben’s friends. He could have been put in an institution, and those friends
would never have existed. That is hard to think about.
Q. What do you hope for Ben?
A. I want him to communicate. It is really hard for me to think about having all the same worries, concerns, thoughts,
dreams and opinions that I have now, but being unable to communicate them to people. So, I know he thinks about a lot
of the same things I do, and someday he will be able to tell people about what he thinks.
I want Ben to have a home of his own when he grows up and to do the things he likes to do. I want him to continue to
succeed in school and when he graduates from school, I hope he can do whatever he wants – get a job, to have friends
and just be who he wants to be. He will want to be independent of mom and me. I know he will.
Q. Do you worry about Ben?
A. Yeah, I do. But, we take good care of him, and we make sure he stays healthy and is seen by all the right doctors. I
don’t worry too much. But this summer right before he went into the operating room to have his hip surgery I was really
worried. I didn’t want anything to happen to him and I was scared I would never see him again.
Q. What is your vision for the world?
A. I want to go out to the Blockbuster, to the grocery store, to the mall, and see that the world accepts everyone no
matter who they are – that it be normal for Ben to be in those places and that I see all the other Ben’s of the world there
too.
Q. How do you expect to influence the change in society that will make your vision a reality?
A. I think by expressing acceptance of everyone, by being a positive role model for others and by being an advocate for
the inclusion of people with disabilities. I think I should have a talk with our Governor (California) because he doesn’t
understand the vision for inclusion, or even give it a second thought. It is very sad, because it is about everyone, not
just people with disabilities.
Q. What matters most to you?
A. My family, friends and pets.
Q. Where do people with disabilities belong in the world?
A. The answer is so simple. People with disabilities belong with everyone else, and I don’t understand what is taking so
long.
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