The Stamford, CT train station is an unlikely wedding venue, but it was the perfect site for Fidelco clients Honorata Kazmierczak and Phil Magalnick. The first met in person there after corresponding for several months as members of an online group for people with retinitis pigmentosa (a degenerative eye disease).
In 2016, Phil posted that he was going to receive a Fidelco German Shepherd guide dog. Honorata responded asking him about the process, and their relationship took off. Along with the couple’s four adult daughters, Fidelco guide dogs “Chloe” and “Cari,” adorned with flower garlands, were prominent members of the wedding party in June 2023.
Phil say their guides are also “great ice breakers and conduits in helping us educate the public about guide dogs and advocacy for people who are blind and disabled.”
Individually, and now as a couple, Phil and Honorata have dedicated their lives to helping others. After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 1992, Phil enjoyed careers as an emergency medical technician/fire fighter with a Stamford fire company and later as a safety dispatcher with the Stamford, CT Police Department until his retirement. Following many years as a white cane user, Phil was matched with Chloe in 2017 – his choice of a German Shepherd guide dog was a natural fit, as he had a German Shepherd Dog as a child.
Having experienced firsthand the daily challenges encountered by people who are visually impaired, Phil was inspired to become an advocate for people with disabilities. He has worked tirelessly to make all Stamford public walkways accessible to people who are visually impaired and those with other disabilities. He advocates for people who are visually impaired to have the legally protected right to use ride services with their guide dogs. Phil is a certified Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator and previously held leadership positions in the National Federation of the Blind of CT and the Southwest CT Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
In 2013, Phil joined the Stamford ADA Advisory Council which has the mission of maintaining municipal ADA compliance, and he currently serves as co-chair. As Chairman of the CT Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB) Statewide Rehabilitation Council, Phil and his fellow members (all of whom are appointed by the governor) are responsible for ensuring the state’s Department of Aging and Disability Services- BESB Vocational Rehabilitation Program provides optimal services to its Connecticut clients. His advocacy work has also included testifying before the CT General Assembly and Stamford Board of Representatives and lobbying in Washington, D.C.
Phil’s work also has an entrepreneurial side; in 2016, he and Honorata co-founded The Blind Voices, an advocacy organization serving both visually impaired and other people who are disabled in southwestern CT. He is currently developing Braille Team 6, an emerging nonprofit organization in Stamford, which will provide technology training and access to a variety of cultural and sports activities for people who are visually impaired. Phil say, “Because many who are visually impaired are financially challenged, there is limited access to such experiences, and I want to broaden these opportunities.”
Honorata is a 1995 graduate of the University of Hartford with a Fine Arts degree focusing on sculpting. She was an art teacher in the Bristol, CT school system for sixteen years. She was declared legally blind in 2013 and soon realized she needed accommodations in order to continue to teach. These accommodations weren’t provided, leaving her with no choice but to resign.
After Honorata and Phil met, their discussions about the challenges faced by people with disabilities sparked a passion for advocacy. Honorata began traveling with Phil to participate in conferences, seminars, and lobbying activities. As her commitment deepened, her efforts were recognized, resulting in an appointment to the City of Stamford’s ADA Advisory Council where she is now vice-chair. Honorata is a certified ADA coordinator and has recently been offered an ADA coordinator internship with the City of Stamford.
Seeing the bond between Phil and Chloe, Honorata decided to become a Fidelco Volunteer Puppy Raiser. She already loved the breed, and having two German Shepherd Dogs as pets growing up, she wanted the experience of learning what is involved in helping to raise a guide dog. Fidelco puppy “Xen”came t live and receive early training with Honorata and Phil in 2019. Honorata quickly “fell in love with all of Xen’s puppy traits!”
A white can traveler for several years, Honorata partnered with Fidelco guide dog, “Cari,” in March 2023. Cari has become an integral part of the Kazmierczak-Magalnick household which also includes pet German Shepherd Dog, “Zula.”
The couple say that their guides have given them greater independence and diminished anxiety when traveling through crowded airports, city streets, or venues for their advocacy work.
Phil and Honorata chose Fidelco because they wanted to train where they would be living and working-Fidelco’s In-Community Placement training model was perfect for them. Phil says, “Having Fidelco close by in the event of a concern or need to troubleshoot was also a huge factor.” They are extremely grateful for the difference that Chlose and Cari have made in their lives. The couple say that their guides have given them greater independence and diminished anxiety when traveling through crowded airports, city streets, or venues for their advocacy work. Phil say their guides are also “great ice breakers and conduits in helping us educate the public about guide dogs and advocacy for people who are blind and disabled.”
With Chloe and Cari, Phil and Honorata will continue to advocate for making their hometown, Connecticut, and beyond more accessible for people who are visually impaired or disabled.
