One brother with a mature mind, one sister with a sincere heart, one mother with a loving spirit, and one father with a disability. As a child, for a long time, this is how I perceived my family.

My father was diagnosed with advanced Multiple sclerosis even before I was born. While this disease stripped away everything from him, for many years all I could recognize was what it had stripped away from me: the ability to play sports with my father, the ability to sit in the non-handicapped section at a Cubs game, or the ability to eat at any restaurant of our choosing without having to worry if it was accessible or not. I was never angry at my father but, rather, the disability which had seemingly monopolized his life. All of these micro aggressions continued to build up as I attempted to cope with my father having a disability. This ultimately engendered me to harbor all of my emotions into creating my organization, We Are Able. Little did I know, this organization would lead me on a journey that would guide the course of my future endeavors.

My father and I had an incredibly special relationship built on the principles of empathy; I was always there for him, and I knew that he was always there for me. He taught me many things: The importance of tikkun olam (repairing the world), for standing up for what I believe in, and that any obstacle or circumstance should never define who you are or what you are able to accomplish. That is why, when he passed away two years ago, I understood that despite my grief, I had to use my pain as a catalyst for change, thus driving me to found We Are Able.

We Are Able is a nonprofit with a mission to raise awareness for people with disabilities through educating people on proper disability etiquette and the importance of creating a society where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and become leaders within their communities. We Are Able seeks to promote more dignified interactions by educating others on proper disability etiquette, emphasizing the importance of empathizing with others, and warning against the dangers of complacency in the wake of injustice.

For my bar mitzvah speech in 2012, my Torah portion was Shemot and I chose to focus on why God chose Moses to be a leader. I spoke about the fact that one of Moses’ great qualities was that he was able to look beyond the surface of things (i.e that the bush was on fire but not burning.) Moses’ willingness to be open to things was one of the qualities that made him a good leader. Having a dad in a wheelchair enabled me to see the world in a different way, and be open to things even if they are different. We Are Able strives to help people look beyond the surface of things and understand that we are all equal.

We Are Able curriculum is available for schools and corporations. To learn more, visit www.weable.org/about-us/ .

Griffen Saul, a Chicago native and a freshman at Tufts University, is the founder and CEO of We Are Able.