Loud and Clear
Leadership comes naturally to a hearing impaired student
By Chelsea Greenwood

Science has shown that when one of the body’s senses is impaired, the others become extraordinarily heightened.  University of Florida senior Joshua Pila, 21, is living proof that this theory is true—his hearing impairment has fostered an enhanced sense of leadership throughout college.  This Tampa native has worked to “raise awareness, foster inclusion, and bring about progress” in both disability affairs and Jewish life.  From adding captions to Gator Growl 2002, creating the first annual Awareness by Leadership and Education Forum, working fervently with Student Government to raise disability awareness, and bringing celebrities like Jim Abbott, Max Weinberg, and Kerri Strug to UF, Pila’s ambitions defy bounds.

He says that the key to changing the status quo is persistent and diligent work from inside the university.  “Instead of chaining myself to desks or sending angry letters, I worked from within the system, which gave administrators and student leaders an idea of how small the changes really were and how easy they were to fix,” he says.  “I think for the first time, administrators and student leaders saw that a person with a disability and a disability advocate didn't have to be a radical activist.”  Pila’s impact is seen through the numerous student organizations that he has worked with to elicit change throughout the university.  During his four years at UF, Pila has worked with nearly 20 on-campus groups and countless others in Gainesville, including the Accent Speakers Bureau, Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Jewish Student Union, Omicron Delta Kappa honors society, J. Wayne Reitz Union Board of Managers, and Florida Blue Key.

Pila follows a strict routine to manage his time and overcome what he calls his greatest challenge in college—attending a seemingly endless chain of meetings.  He always arrives early to secure a prime seat up front where he can clearly understand the other speakers by lip reading.  “It took some adjusting to be able to understand what was going on when the speakers kept switching,” he says.  “To this day, I sometimes need to look at the minutes compiled by the secretary to truly comprehend everything said in a meeting.”  To organize his hectic schedule, Pila relies on his PalmPilot and religiously maintains an up-to-date calendar of upcoming events.

When he graduates in spring 2004, Pila imagines that the best memory he’ll take from UF will be Gator Growl 2002.  Because of his work to secure captioning for the pep rally, he was able to truly enjoy the show and its headliner, comedian Bill Cosby.  “To see my sisters, who are also hearing impaired, fully understand Gator Growl for the first time when such a great man was on the stage will stay with me forever,” Pila says.

He considers bringing Jim Abbott to speak on campus as another of his greatest accomplishments at UF.  This former Major League Baseball pitcher was born with only one hand and continues to inspire other disabled people with his courage and determination.  Pila was similarly touched by Abbott’s positive attitude after spending a day touring Gainesville with him.  “He taught me that he’s not a disabled pitcher, but rather a pitcher and a person who just happens to have a disability,” he says.  “That’s the same attitude that I have about my hearing impairment—it doesn’t define who I am as a person.”

While Pila considers Abbott his public role model, his private role model has always been his father.  “He's also hearing impaired, and my mother and girlfriend tell me I'm his carbon copy,” he says.  “While I may be a much better dresser and a little bit more laid back, I still follow routines, organization, and many other tenets that my father repeatedly stands for.”

After college, Pila hopes to attend law school at Georgetown University or somewhere in the Washington, D.C. area.  Though many people suggest that he practice disability law, he would prefer corporate international communications law.  “My success in disability affairs has always come from being an insider,” he says.  “I'd rather be the person working at a corporation to make the industry more accessible than a lawyer on the outside trying to break in.”

Although Pila’s tireless efforts have yielded a plethora of tangible results on campus and in the community, he hopes his influence has extended to the people as well.  By maintaining a positive attitude, striving to meet his goals, and recognizing but not dwelling on his disability, Pila has sent a clear message to those around him.  “Being a fraternity boy, SG politician, honors student, and all of the other hats that I wear shows others that people with disabilities aren't all that different.”

Contact Pila at jpila@ufl.edu.

Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved