SAN ANTONIO – UTSA alumnus Maverick Crawford III was recently appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities.
“I never thought I would be appointed by the governor of Texas,” Crawford said.
Crawford has many issues he wants to bring forward.
“Funding for people with disabilities. I want to push for that more. I want to push for treatment for people with disabilities,” Crawford said.
He also wants to make treatment more accessible.
“I didn’t have the services in my area, my community. I had to go out in the community to get services. It didn’t cover my insurances. It was a deep struggle as far as getting help,” Crawford said.
It wasn’t always easy for Crawford. At the age of 6, he was diagnosed with autism.
“Doctors told me I would be institutionalized. I wouldn’t be able to do anything for myself,” Crawford said. “I was diagnosed with severe speech impairment, intellectual development disability. I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder,” Crawford said.
Although school was difficult, he still graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration.
He also published a book titled, “Overcoming the odds: My journey to finding personal strength and triumph”.
“When you think of disabilities, you think they are incapable and can’t do anything for themselves. I want to change that stigma,” Crawford said.
After years of pushing himself, he received a call that changed his life.
He has a message for people going through a similar situation.
“I tell them to keep on pushing. Keep on striving. Keep preserving because there’s a great reward at the end of everything,” he said.
Crawford said he is looking forward to attending his first meeting of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities that takes place Aug. 7.