I’m blind, but I’m totally fine. Hi. My name is Matthew. I am nine years old. I have a seven-year-old brother named William who goes to Jersey City Global Charter School with me in NJ. We love it here. I have many talents, such as singing, dancing, arts and crafts, and playing instruments. Finally, I embrace my differences.
One of my most important differences is that I am visually impaired, which means that I am blind in one eye, and have low vision in the other. In school, I have to see the board clearly, so I have an app on my tablet so I can see the SmartBoard clearly. I embrace my disability, because if I weren’t disabled I wouldn’t have the opportunities and talents I have now. I am very grateful for what I have: my opportunities, talents and a loving family.
Not only do I embrace my disability, my parents, teachers and friends embrace it. My teachers embrace my disability by treating me just like the rest of the students in the class. I may need different accommodations but my teacher makes it out like it is no big deal and hardly anyone notices that I have to use special technology at times. My friends embrace my differences by letting me play in their games. They also talk to me just like any regular kid. I feel relieved to know that I don’t stand out too much and that I am just a kid in the 4th grade.
Despite my differences, I have succeeded in many things. I get amazing grades. I know Braille, a form of writing in dots that he blind use to read. Even though I am sighted, I know Braille because I need to have the experience in case of emergency. I was even elected Class Mayor least year, in third grade! This year I have been elected for Grade Level Governor. Not only am I doing well in school, I am also in the New Jersey Youth chorus, a very good and hard chorus to get into. In addition to my other successes, I have won many medals in my soccer league.
I have some differences, which, over the years have given me an advantage. All of these advantages will affect me in years to come too. Who cares if I have a disability? These qualities make me, me.
DHIFI Inc. congratulates Matthew Herrera as runner-up in our DHIFI & Scholastic 2017 Kids Flaunt Contest!
