Under a canopy of trees, his playful imagination could get caught up in an intricate story about a grouchy puppet called Squatter; be built into a three-legged elephant he created with hammer and saw; or come alive when he donned a goofy clown costume.

“It allowed me to create what I wanted — to be whatever I wanted to be,” says Michael, 24, who has a genetic condition called familial dysautonomia. Michael was born with a broken back, has a curved spine and is legally blind. “This place made me feel like I didn’t have a disability. The staff who were animating the puppets would talk to me like I was a person, an equal.”

Michael first attended Spiral Garden as a 7-year-old and would come back most summers over the next dozen years. As a teenager, he participated in the camp’s Fountain of Youth program, shadowing artists who mentored him in the crafts of storytelling and woodworking. Along the way he realized he loved working with children and wanted a job in early childhood education.

Michael says the greatest challenge he’s faced growing up is being judged on his physical appearance. He graduated from a vocational program for people with disabilities at Seneca College two years ago’s had co-op retail jobs at Blockbuster and Toys R Us, and a two-month contract as an assistant at a daycare — his dream job. But despite working with employment counsellors through the Ontario Disability Support Program, he’s been unable to land a full-time job.

“I know in my heart that I can do these jobs, but when I go for interviews and people see what I look like — see my back — they won’t give me a chance,” Michael says. He recounts times when employers have called him in for an interview, then, upon meeting him, told him they don’t have anything available. “There have been times when I’ve just wanted to collapse and not get up — because I’ve been so depressed and frustrated.”

Michael says he keeps his spirits up by drawing on ‘strong willpower’ and working out with a personal trainer at home, where he lives with his parents. “Working on my upper body and balance give me a lot of energy. I would recommend it to anyone as a way to develop strength and feel better about yourself.”

Michael says his big break with employment came when he applied to work as a counsellor at Spiral Garden in the summer of 2006. He was hired and put in charge of the costume station. Whether he’s helping a child step into some giant red clown shoes or pull on a sparkly, flowing cape, Michael says he hopes he’s giving back what’s enjoyed for more than a dozen years as a camper.

“I want to give children the freedom to create and to use their imagination to be whoever they want to be.”