Charting the Cs: Cooperation, Communication and Collaboration. Statewide Professional Development to Support the Workforce and Low Incidence Disability Areas. Charting the Cs Conference 2024 Making Your Mark! Embracing Disability, Challenging Ableism, and Cultivating Impact Provided by Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson, The Arc Minnesota Centering Access This is an invitation to show up as you are and to use the space you are in as you need or prefer. Feel free to sit in chairs or on the floor, pace, lay down, rock, flap, spin.. (Modified from The Peoples Hub) Agenda Introduction The Power of Belief Understanding Ableism Disability Justice Making Your Mark Closing Q&A Introduction About The Arc Minnesota Mission The Arc Minnesota promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), actively supporting them and their families in a lifetime of full inclusion and participation in their communities. About Me Journey Born with a disability, low expectations by medical team Mom and Grandma were foundational in encouraging me to dream Family being forced to poverty so that I could get benefits and services About Me Learnings Understanding ableism at a young age even without knowing the language Not seeing people around me who looked like me We all have needs that need to be met. No one’s needs are more ‘special’ than the other, but often that’s not how it goes Successes Teachers and social workers changed my life Being the representation I needed Being successfully employed for over a decade The future is disabled! Ableism Defining Ableism Ableism is a system that places value on people’s bodies and minds based on societally constructed ideas that leads to people and society determining who is valuable and worthy  Talila TL Lewis  At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability Access Living  Ableism Shows up in Many Ways.. Structural > Physical and design barriers Cultural > Lack of media representation, invisibility in culture and community, forced segregation Medical > Medical Industrial Complex, institutionalization, forced sterilization, cure-focused treatment Financial > Sub-minimum wage, high unemployment rates, forced poverty, Marriage inequality, carceral system, denial of due process *This is not an exhaustive list Ableism in Education Oregon Department of Education Models of Disability Deficit-Based Language Emphasizes what people with disabilities cannot do, rather than focusing on their abilities, strengths, or inherent value as individuals. This type of language reinforces stereotypes and marginalizes people with disabilities by focusing on their "perceived" differences from what's considered "normal." Ableism in Language Casual Ableism: Ableist terms or phrases that are used in everyday conversation. The casual usage can "normalize" ableist ideas in our culture. Examples: Crazy Psycho Bipolar Insane Deficit-Based Language, continued Emphasizes what people with disabilities cannot do, rather than focusing on their abilities, strengths, or inherent value as individuals. This type of language reinforces stereotypes and marginalizes people with disabilities by focusing on their "perceived" differences from what's considered "normal." Deficit-Based Language, continued 2 Examples: Afflicted by / Suffers from High-functioning/low-functioning Handicapped Wheelchair-bound Non-verbal Euphemisms and Special Terminology Examples: Special needs Differing abilities Differently-abled disABILITY Language of Empowerment Not Special Needs Video Assume That I Can | (2:00) (youtube.com) Person-First Language Person-first language puts the person before the disability as a way to reclaim personhood. By placing the person first: disability is not what defines the person language reduces generalizations and stereotypes by focusing on the individual language encourages mutual respect Identity-First Language Identity-First Language puts the disability before the person. By placing disabled identity first: emphasizes that disability plays a role in who the person is reinforces disability as a positive identity  allows the person to control how they are identified, by their own choice, rather than being told they are disabled by someone else who is usually not Disability Justice From The Disability Rights Movement to Disability Justice The US Disability Rights Movement established a civil rights for people with disabilities The ADA is the floor not the ceiling Focus on the symptoms but not the root cause Cliffhangers of The Disability Rights Movement Disability rights is based in a single-issue identity. It focuses solely on disability at the expense of other intersections Leadership of this movement has historically centered the experience of white folks. Centers people with mobility disabilities, invisibilizing and marginalizing other types of lived experience and disability. Recognizes that changing laws and policies does not address the way society is setup to treat disabled people as bad, unproductive, disposable Acknowledges that each person experiences disability differently and how those differences shape our everyday relationships, health outcomes, and quality of life Independence vs Interdependence 10 Principles Disability Justice Understands All bodies are unique and essential All bodies have strengths and needs that must be met We are all powerful, not despite the complexities of our body/minds, but because of them All bodies are confined by ability, race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, etc - and we cannot separate them Disability Justice Primer Skin, Tooth, and Bone: The Basis of Movement is Our People A Disability Justice Primer by Sins Invalid Justice in education Making Your Mark Unpack and unlearn ableism Recognize the power you have in shaping the lives of your students Break down barriers Challenge stereotypes Advocate for inclusivity and justice in education and beyond Advocate for representation in schools Be patient with yourself, this is a lifelong journey! Access is love! Thank You! Please feel free to reach out to me. Email: BrittanieHernandezWilson@ArcMinnesota.Org Q & A