Glen’s on a mission
If it’s not readable for Glen Terry, it’s not readable for anyone.
Terry is 26 years old and has Down syndrome.
The Hamilton man is on a mission to make life easier for disabled people and one way he is achieving this is through his new business, Readable By Glen.
The business offers translation services so everyone can read and understand information, turning it into what he calls Easy Read.
‘‘I translate documents, like if you are going to go to the doctors and they give you a prescription slip to sign and it’s not in Easy Read,’’ Terry said.
‘‘I translate information into plain language, Easy Read, for people with disabilities so it’s easier for them to understand.’’
‘‘If it’s not readable by me it ain’t readable by anyone else.’’
Terry came up with the idea for Readable By Glen after a few of his friends with disabilities struggled with reading or couldn’t read at all.
It started with him and his personal assistant and now he has his own marketing team.
‘‘The marketing people have made up a brochure and are building a website, they are actually really quite useful.’’
Terry has four clients, who come and see him when they’re having troubling understanding a document. He charges himself out at $40 an hour.
‘‘The system is important for disabled people, they need to know exactly what they are reading.
‘‘I want to make the world a better place for disabled people, make a difference and also support them in any way they need.’’
Terry is the president for the Hamilton branch of People First and vice-president for the Midland branch.
People First is an advocacy group for people with learning disabilities.
He is on the Enabling Good Lives leadership team and is the disabled person representative.
‘‘I speak on behalf of disabled people. I take the voice of disabled people to the table.
‘‘I’m a disabled person and I’m a human being so treat me as a normal human being like as you do with people who don’t have disabilities.’’
Terry is also on the the Health and Disability Commissioner’s Consumer Advisory Group.
‘‘It’s a whole lot of work. We are just trying to make it easier for the people with disabilities to know what they are doing, get more jobs out there, new jobs out there and better transport for people with disabilities.’’
Outside his professional work, Terry coaches a Glenview Primary School basketball team, and volunteers for a conservation project.
Terry has been attending a transition to employment programme since he left school.
This programme helped him get his learner driver’s licence in 2015.
When he’s ready he said he will sit his restricted licence test.
Terry has been nominated as a finalist in the leadership category at the Attitude Awards, which celebrate the success and achievements of Kiwis living with a disability.
‘‘Everything I do is for the disabled community because I am an important person and what I’m doing is very important.’’
The winners will be announced at the Auckland ANZ Viaduct Events Centre on November 9.