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Diversability Unplugged: Deconstructing Ableism & Inspiration (Online)

For anyone living with a disability (visible or not), ableism is a fact of life. And there are many daily things all of us do that perpetuate a culture of ableism. From direct discrimination and harmful action, to the more subtle micraggressions from well-meaning people and internalized narratives we tell ourselves, we as disabled people face a myriad of messages that being disabled is a “bad” thing. And with the dawn of “Inspiration Porn”, a term coined by the late Stella Young, ableism hidden behind the guise of showcasing our resilience and strength, we are faced with the growing question: how do we live and thrive in an ableist culture? And how do we change it?

This session will be recorded.

Event Time Zones: 5pm-6:30 PT / 8pm-9:30pm ET

Where: A Zoom link will be emailed to you 15 mins before the event begins.

Sliding scale tickets: We are trying something new with Diversability Unplugged events by offering ticket fees on a sliding scale basis. This is to ensure that people are compensated for their time and effort. Please donate whatever you can, even if it’s only $1! Diversability is very appreciative of our community members, and thank you for your contribution! If the cost is still prohibitive for you, please reach out to Whitney Bailey at whitney@mydiversability.com.

Accessibility: Attendees may keep their videos off for privacy or comfort, and are free to leave at any time. All sessions will be in English and ASL interpreters will be present. We will also use Zoom's auto-captioning feature. Please email Whitney Bailey at whitney@mydiversability.com for other accessibility needs and/or questions.

Panelists:

Daniel Hodges - Daniel Hodges is a JD candidate at the University of Baltimore School of Law. After graduating from Western Governors University with a BA in education, Daniel decided to pursue a law degree so he could more effectively advocate for those with disabilities. His perspective is shaped by a lifetime of overcoming the obstacles and low expectations associated with being blind and having a congenital connective tissue disorder. While in school, Daniel and his cofounder began the process of creating Peaces of Me Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to erasing the stigma surrounding disability and chronic illness. In the last year, POMF has grown from an intriguing idea to a 501(c)(3) organization with an international reach. His passion for collaboration and inclusivity, along with his vision for a brighter future for all, are reflected in the organization that he leads.

Haben Girma - The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she teaches organizations the importance of choosing inclusion. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, and TODAY Show featured her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.

Jacob Pacheco - ProneToRide was created by professional athlete Jacob Pacheco with a mission to empower others to discover their best. Jacob Pacheco was born with Cerebral Palsy and he successfully thrives despite any challenges. Throughout Jacob's life, he's faced incredible adversity including bullying, medical setbacks, abuse, clinical depression, and even told he would be "incapable" of walking after the age of 16. Despite this Jacob turned disability and adversity into opportunity. Against the odds Jacob has proven YOU can prevail and discover fulfillment despite challenges. Now, Jacob is a TEDx Speaker, Content Creator, Entrepreneur, and Pro-Adaptive Surfer. ProneToRide is the result of commitment through adversity to discover your best and keep charging forward! Jacob brings his platform "ProneToRide" to your doorstep and inspires YOU to keep charging for your dreams and goals!

Carly Findlay - Carly Findlay OAM is an award-winning writer, speaker and appearance activist. Her first book, a memoir called Say Hello, was released in January 2019. Carly edited the anthology Growing Up Disabled in Australia with Black Inc Books. It’s in stores now. She writes on disability and appearance diversity issues for news outlets including the ABC, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and SBS. In 2020, Carly Findlay received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her work as a disability advocate and activist. She was named one of Australia’s most influential women in the 2014 Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards. She has appeared on ABC TV’s You Can’t Ask That and Cyberhate with Tara Moss, and has been a regular on various ABC radio programs. She has spoken at the Melbourne Writers Festival, the University of Western England and Melbourne University – to name a few. She organised the history-making Access to Fashion – a Melbourne Fashion Week event featuring disabled models. She has a Masters of Communication and Bachelor of eCommerce. Carly identifies as a proud disabled woman – she lives with a rare, severe skin condition, ichthyosis. She organised Australia’s first Ichthyosis meet in 2015 – bringing together 75 people affected by the rare, severe skin condition Ichthyosis. 25 attendees had Ichthyosis. Friendships and support networks were formed.

Wes Hamilton - Wes is a philanthropist, spesker, actor, and athlete. He found empowerment through fitness and nutrition after sustaining a spinal cord injury as a young man. Growing strength as a single father, he began competing as an adaptive bodybuilder. Inspired by the positivity he received in that venture, he established Disabled But Not Really (DBNR), which joins community events to raise awareness about the role of good mental and physical health in overcoming life's challenges. They recently expanded their scholarship program for disabled individuals to find ways of improving nutrition and fitness, and have a regular outreach program with Kansas City's homeless, providing dignity care packages, water, and food. Wes has been featured by CNN, ABC, BBC, The Today Show, among others.

[Image description: On a light blue background with a white paint slash background in the center, black bold text reads: Diversability Unplugged: Deconstructing Ablesim and Inspiration; Wednesday, April 14th 5pm-6:30 PT/ 8pm-9:30 CT; RSVP: http://bit.ly/ableismunplugged". In two rows above and below there are photos of the five panelists and the host. From top left to bottom right, text below their names reads their name and title. In the bottom right, white text reads "ASL/auto-captioning provided. *sliding scale and NOTAFLOF tickets available. Message us! Diversability logo bottom left.]

Earlier Event: April 12
MAC DSP Training #1
Later Event: April 15
MAC DSP Training #2