New IL Specialist Theorius Wheeler is proud of their intersectional identity and wants to help others find the same sense of community they have found to be “the best and most important part of the human experiences.”
My name is Theorius Wheeler, and I have been an Independent Living Specialist at LIFTT since May of 2023. I am 19 years old, and I was born in Seattle, Washington—although I have moved over 17 times since then. I started working at LIFTT because I am deeply passionate about helping others and making a difference in my community. It would be an honor to have the opportunity to help you come to terms with being disabled, find solutions that will work for you, and help you succeed.
When I was eight years old I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). At the time I had been feeling terrible because I knew I was different from my peers, but I couldn’t figure out what was “wrong” with me. A few years later I was also diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the pieces fell into place. Autism affects how my brain processes things like emotions, information, social cues, the five senses, and much more. Having the language to explain why I was the way I was vastly improved my self-esteem and self-confidence. At sixteen years old I began to experience vision loss and was soon diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a genetic degenerative eye disease that I inherited from my dad. Multiple members of my immediate family are also disabled—most with multiple disabilities—and I have spent most of my life being involved with the disability community. To me, being a part of a community is the best and most important part of the human experience. Having a strong community helps us to grow, connect, and spread joy on a personal and societal scale.
The concept of personal identity is incredibly important to me, and I am very proud of who I am. As someone with an intersectional identity, I deeply understand how different experiences and identities overlap, and how that overlap can impact different people in different ways. I came out as pansexual when I was 15, which means that I like people for who they are on the inside, not their gender presentation on the outside. A few years later I came out as nonbinary, which is when someone doesn’t feel exclusively like a guy or a girl. While being “out” is an ongoing experience, both times I came out felt vastly different, both internally and in how I was received. However, I am nonetheless proud of who I am and who I am becoming, and my identity as a queer disabled person is an integral part of that.
I have lived in Billings off and on since I was eight, and most recently I moved back to Billings in September of 2022. I spent all of elementary in public school, then I was homeschooled for four years, then I was a student at the Washington State School for the Blind for two years, and I recently received my High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) diploma. I also attended community college for a year while I was homeschooled, and I am currently halfway through my associate degree. I truly believe that knowledge is empowering, and while higher education isn’t for everyone, it is essential that each disabled person is given the opportunity to pursue it if that is what they believe is right for them.
I am an avid writer and a devoted reader, and I currently own over 330 books (one-third of the way to a personal library!). I also enjoy sewing and scrapbooking, and I am learning how to play the acoustic guitar. My favorite song is “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift, my favorite movie is “National Treasure,” and my favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I have an older sister and a younger brother, and I am a proud godparent to my nephew. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact me at theow@liftt.org or (406) 318-8336
About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides people with disabilities with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Prairie, Powder River, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.