My name is Billy Pickens and I am a twenty-five-year-old college graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor’s degree in mass media and a minor in journalism. I have been a part of the DeafBlind community for my entire life as I was born with a genetic condition called Norrie’s Disease which can affect cell development of the eyes and inner ear. For me, this led to total blindness and progressive hearing loss that began at the age of seven. My hobbies include but are not limited to traveling, following pop culture blogs, and public speaking.
While there have been difficult moments in my journey as a person with DeafBlindness, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had not only to share my story with the world but have a positive impact on other young people with disabilities, especially those younger than myself. Many of these opportunities have come through my work as the Youth Outreach Coordinator of the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC), North Carolina’s parent training and information center. I had been working in and around ECAC for years but was hired in late 2020 due to my growing passion for disability advocacy. As the Youth Outreach Coordinator, I assist in multiple projects all in an effort to empower the youth voice such as youth-led webinars led by members of our Youth Advisory Team, a quarterly newsletter created by youth for youth and recently launching our first youth-led podcast. I have also had the opportunity to work more directly than ever with DeafBlind youth and other leaders in the community to assist in areas of mentorship and help plan DeafBlind specific events.
I love my job and all of the incredible opportunities I have been presented through it. However, being able to use my experiences to have a positive impact on the lives of young people with disabilities is the most rewarding experience. Even on my hardest day, I always take a moment to reflect on all of the people who have expressed how much the work we do has improved their quality of life. Through these stories, I am reminded that no matter how arduous the journey may be, there are people counting on me to be their inspiration to keep going.
I really enjoy spending time with our Youth Advisory Team which is comprised of fifteen young people with disabilities with ages ranging from 14 to 24. The team started a few years before I was hired and we met in person. However, the pandemic happened and while we were no longer able to meet in person, the benefit was that our team grew with more members joining in different parts of the state.
We meet every Tuesday and the team assists in doing webinars, panel discussions, editing for our youth newsletter, and other outreach opportunities to have their voices heard. However, I believe what the youth love most is the ability to connect with other youth with disabilities, so much so that we went from meeting every other week to meeting every week to accommodate their interests in socialization with others. Being able to give them life advice and listening to them help each other makes me feel confident in my calling to bring positive change to the world and to inspire others to do the same.
I want others to know that as much as I have found my voice through my life as a self-advocate, one of my biggest areas of strength and knowledge is listening to others. Whether it is through my work as a Youth Outreach Coordinator or my work in the DeafBlind community, my goal is always to listen just as much if not more than I speak. We all have a voice and a seat at the table. I share my story not to make myself look good but to hopefully let others know that they can turn their most challenging experiences into power that fuels generations.
~Billy Pickens, Youth Outreach Coordinator, ECAC
Contact ECAC at https://www.ecac-parentcenter.org/