[Narrator] "Border Narratives", stories of people with disabilities living at the U.S./Mexico border. [Audio Description] A montage of arid landscapes and cities. Next, a man with sunglasses and a headset is interviewed remotely against a map background. He is dubbed in Spanish by a voice actor. [Daniel] Hello, my name is Daniel Martinez and I'm from Brownsville, Texas. I identify as a Chicano man. I'm 31 years old. I am an educator and a mentor. I participate in different programs working with families of students with disabilities. I love playing music, dancing, doing art. [Audio Description] Photo of Daniel from the back walking with the cane beside a toddler. [Daniel] Six months ago I became a father, so a lot of the music that I'm playing and listening to is geared for children and my baby is having a lot of fun. [Audio Description] A monochromatic map of North America zooms in to show a red border line between Brownsville and Matamoros. [Daniel] I was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. My family comes from Matamoros, Mexico, and these are border towns. Border towns, it means that I can live the best of both worlds, one way or the other. My wife and child were born in Matamoros, and I go and come back quite frequently. [Audio Description] Sections of a river curve through a low-lying city dotted with lush trees. [Daniel] Brownsville, Texas is a very peaceful place. The majority of us are Hispanic. As a blind individual, I have high expectations for my community. Unfortunately, it's not always the most accessible place. However, I'm finding that, communicating with leaders in the community, they are paying attention, and I want to be more involved to make that difference in my community. [Audio Description] A street intersection of a small town. Next, a corner market with vibrant, hand-painted signs in Spanish. [Daniel] Matamoros is a beautiful place, not visually, but culturally. The music, the food, and the people, they are quite engaging, but I could tell you that I expect a whole lot less from Matamoros than I do from Brownsville. [Audio Description] A photo of a Mexican flag billowing atop a state building. [Daniel] Mexico does have non-discriminatory laws. However, people with disabilities are not being granted those rights. [Audio Description] A woman in a wheelchair beside the tall, iron border wall. [Daniel] It's as if they were not in existence. And that's quite unfortunate. However, when I'm out and about, people are quite respectful, and that's what I love, that they're not mandated to not discriminate against me, but they usually don't. [Audio Description] Crowds of people with masks form lines between stout fences. [Daniel] In early 2021, I started asking my city officials what they were doing to obtain vaccines for people with disabilities, and I heard crickets. Over time, I heard from an organization, Down By The Border. [Audio Description] Down By The Border webpage, with tagline "An association helping children with special needs". [Daniel] They were doing the same. They were asking the city why people with disabilities were not receiving services. When I reached out to the organization, right away they recruited me to be part of their outreach program. And it's unfortunate that the city basically stated that they didn't have the manpower to reach out to people with disabilities. Down By The Border stepped up and provided that service. But in reality, the city should have been responsible for that. [Audio Description] Photo of Daniel standing with a white cane and wearing a suit and tie. [Daniel] People with disabilities are not part of the conversation when people talk about situations in the border. I would like the narrative regarding disabilities to improve. The way it would improve would be for people on both sides of the border to be conscientious of the needs of people with disabilities. [Narrator] "Border Narratives", produced by Arizona Disability Law Center, and Rooted in Rights. funding by Borealis Philanthropy. END OF TRANSCRIPT
