Topic: Blind Fil-Am lawyer is key adviser in Bush Cabinet

[Prince Barry]

A Blind Filipino-American lawyer takes up a key position in the White House.

Olegario "Ollie" D. Cantos VII has been appointed Associate Director on Disabilities of the White House Domestic Policy Council in the Executive Office of President George W. Bush.

It?s the highest designated position given to a disabled invidividual in the US federal government today.

Blind since birth, Oillie who is fondly called by his friends hails from Batangas province. He is the first ethnic minority and first Filipino-American to serve in that office. His swift rise to his new post came after just 20 months in public service.

His primary functions include coordinating national disability policy across federal agencies, assisting in briefing President Bush on issues of importance to the disability community, advising on potential presidential appointments, representing the Administration at speaking engagements, and maintaining and fostering ongoing dialogues with leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Cantos graduated from Loyola Law School in 1997 and Loyola Marymount University in 1992 and was one of only a few graduates to have served in the leadership of the alumni associations of both schools.

Prior to his present post, Cantos was the first and only person ever to serve as General Counsel and Director of Programs for the 120,000-member American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the largest crossdisability national membership organization in the United States.

In March 2006, he worked at the US Department of Justice where he served as Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights as commissioned by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Before that, he served in the same office as Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General as commissioned by former Attorney General John D. Ashcroft in August 2004.

Working on a number of fronts to advance disability rights enforcement, Cantos was a member of the Attorney General?s Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities, chairperson of the Technical Assistance and Outreach Subcommittee and member of the Incident Management Team of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities headed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice Representative on the Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and member of the Sub-committee on the New Freedom Initiative of the Inter-agency Coordinating Council on Disability Research, spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Education.

A 2001 Regional Finalist for the White House Fellowship Program and active in work both within and outside the disability community, he continues to be a sought-after speaker, serving as an example of how people with disabilities may reach the highest levels of success in every area of life by exercising both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. His engaging personal style and ability to convey thoughts through the written word have established him as one of the fastest rising up-and-coming leaders in the disability community.

Despite his disability, the Fil-American lawyer is a three-time finisher of the 26.2-mile Los Angeles Marathon.

[MEXX]

kung pinoy yan, malamang conected sya kay GMA.. tingin nyo?

[-Anti-BAYOTicâ„¢-]

yup napanuod ko yan sa TV Patrol..He's very inspiring para tuloy gusto ko mag-aral uli magsipag n,hehehe...that kind of person that filipino's may proud....

[foreveryoung]

Cheers to one of our fellow Filipino.

I have no call, but to congratulate himm and keep the good work....

never in your mind and in your time, to make any moves that will degrade the phils...like some of our comrade did..

Mabuhay ka and thanks for the post....

["Phoenix"]

Another great achievements of Filipino's......

We must be proud for him. He makes Filipino's to become well-known in the world.
And he represents the great attitude and talents of the Filipino's......

We salute you......sir.....