El Paso del Norte Youth Leadership Forum

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EL PASO — Place yourself in the shoes of a graduating high school senior, approaching the real world unaware of what to expect. Now place yourself in the shoes of a graduating high school senior with a disability. As appealing the idea of college may seem, most graduating students with disabilities lack the confidence and resources they need to get there. The El Paso del Norte Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is a local community event that happens once a year in October. The forum has been around for 12 years strong and is going on its 13th year.

With my mom at the ABQ BioPark Zoo. (©Selene Soria)

Even with extra planning, traveling in a wheelchair is challenging

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EL PASO – Traveling requires a lot of planning and a lot of more planning is required when someone with a disability or a wheelchair-bound person like myself is traveling with the group. Last summer my family and I decided to take a trip to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We planned the trip ahead of time and made the hotel reservation in advance. My mother researched the main attractions for each city to map out the itinerary. Even with all the planning we still encountered some obstacles.

Information alleviates the anguish of autism

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Autism, local stories

EL PASO – As Perla turned from two-years-old to three, her mother began to notice that the little girl was having trouble learning to speak and relating to other children. Perla lived in her own little world. Her mother, Melissa Suarez,23, also noticed that Perla had a hard time concentrating on everyday activities. Suarez then sought professional help at the Community Parent Resource Center (CDIC) and soon heard the word that would change her life. Autism.