Each One, Reach One, Teach One
101821
Captioner Trish Messinger

 
This text is being provided in a rough draft format.  Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. 

 
>>:  So interpreters we're ready to go.
BETH:  Good afternoon everyone, my name is Beth.  I'm the APRIL board member and facilitator of the call the day.
Thank you for joining us.  It is each one reach one teach one.  I want to mention a few housekeeping items before we get started today.  First when you scroll over to screen, a menu bar pops up.  Depending on what device you are on, you can find that menu bar at the top or at the bottom of your screen.
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Now let me turn it over to William and Nina.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.  Good afternoon everyone.  My name is William.
NINA:  And I'm Nina.
WILLIAM:  And I'm going to share our screen.  We prepared a PowerPoint presentation for ya.  If you want to follow along.
As Beth stated the title of our presentation is each one, reach one, teach one, diversity and inclusion and community outreach and CIL program.
NINA:  Disability link is the name our center for into living.  I'm Nina Coleman the disability rights diversity ... I LS.
WILLIAM:  And I again I'm William Thomas IL lead personally diversity.
NINA:  We all have multiple identities within us.  Everyone at the CIL ‑‑ well, the CIL is run by and for people with disabilities.  And I, as a queer outgoing social justice advocate, she/her and sometimes they, I'm not worried about those pronouns.  Ivory skinned, very light skinned, I've medium ... glass and I have an invisible disability.
WILLIAM:  And I'm William Thomas, I was going to add sexy in front of dark brown but I said I couldn't so I will just read the script and I will describe myself as dark brown, introverted, African American, pronouns he/him/his with short black curly hair, closely cropped goatee and I'm also a person with an invisible disability.
NINA:  We don't want to make assumptions about anyone's identity based upon physical appearance because of stereotypes or socially constructed norms.
Gender, sexuality, race, age, ability, sex, national origin or any of those population, everyone can self‑identify themselves, assumptions make them out ...
WILLIAM:  So the best thing to do is to use proper names.  Or ask what pronouns that they would like to use as self identification.
NINA:  Some of you may have even seen some recent commercials about hiring where that's actually being done.
WILLIAM:  So why do we need to talk about this?  The idea of diversity and inclusion.  This definition was taken from CUNY, copy of University of New York and it says that (reading verbatim)  ... these can be along with dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, religious beliefs and political or other Ideologies.
NINA:  So there's diversity.  Social inclusion is also conflated with that term, but social ... (reading verbatim)  ...mer representative of race or ethnicity have a meaningful voice and can live prosperous lives.  Not only is inclusion vital for diversity efforts to succeed, but creating an inclusion culture be will prove beneficial for employee engage.  Increase.
>>:  Really I'm going to stop your screen ‑‑ if you could stop your screen share.  Immaterial looks like your bandwidth isn't liking it.  I'm going to share it for you.  I have.
WILLIAM:  Okay thank you.
>>:  I have it ready to go.  Just give me one second.  Maybe that will help the screen out a little bit.  Is this work?
WILLIAM:  Yes.  Shall we go back over that.
>>:  I think we saw it.  I just want to make sure it doesn't glitch out.
NINA:  Okay, thank you.
>>:  Yeah, you're welcome.
WILLIAM:  Okay.
NINA:   (inaudible) .
WILLIAM:  So why do we need talk about?  Many make the mistake of thinking that diversity means inclusion ... while neglecting inclusion.
And that was taken from management in an article of people management ... inclusion is a much broader construct and requires a change in the way that people interact and the removal of obstacles.
There is a connection between inclusion and motivation in the community and workplace.
So if I can give you an example of diversity, so there's a red rose A white rose, a yellow rose.  That's diversity.  But if I were to take all the red roses and put them in a vase.  And if the yellow and the white rose could speak how old they feel?  Well why wasn't I included in that array of flowers?
NINA:  Yeah for the kids, yeah.
WILLIAM:  All right.  Question.
NINA:  Is there anyone like to share an example when they were included in something that caused you to be more motivated as a result?
>>:  And just as reminder you can drop those comments right into the chat if you would like.  And maybe if you want to repeat the question one more time.
NINA:  Is there anyone who would like to share an example when they were included in something that caused you to be more motivated as a result of being included.
>>:  I see one hand up.  Maria said sure.  And then I can allow Jake to talk to answer this question.  Go ahead, Jake you're good to unmute now.
>>:  Okay, my friends down at base, it's a summit program down in my so you la, even after they were allowed to keep meeting in person, they adopted a hybrid Zoom model so I could still participate in activities with them.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
>>:  Excellent.  We do that here at disability link also.  We've opened our meetings to in person, but we do offer the Zoom as a hybrid so that people that are further away or have transportation issues can still be a part of things.  Usually the groups are peer lead so everybody's welcome to join in.
>>:  Awesome and then in chat Mallory was saying my first APRIL conference in Y LF and Becky (reading verbatim)  ... and volunteer.  And Maria also said center for the blind and Anchorage did that, but mostly it's been social groups online ... used to use they/them which hasn't been a thing for a while now.  But when it was the people who supported it were wonderful about it.
And Lisa brown said ... I final felt at home with the staff and management team made me feel included and accepted.  And then we have Sandra, did you want to take one more
WILLIAM:  Yes.
NINA:  Sure.
>>:  It looks like Sandra dropped hers in the chat, same as Becky, opened a new world of advocate for me being a SILC member.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
NINA:  Next slide.
WILLIAM:  O let's talk about this.  So we're going to ask you a couple of questions.  Those were great response.  Is there anyone who would like to share an example ‑‑ we already they'd.  The next question well does anyone apt to share an example of when they were excluded from participating in the community so therefore were discouraged and reluctant to try again?  That's going to be a good one.  Again, does anyone want to share an example when they were excluded from participating in the community?  So therefore were discouraged and reluctant to try again.
NINA:  Okay Maria.
BETH:  Maria says sure.
NINA:  Ma Ma rhea would you like to unmute and tell us.
>>:  All right Maria you are unmuted if ‑‑ you're aloud to unmute if you would like.  Maria, you're unmuted, go ahead.
>>:  Can you hear me.
>>:  Yeah we can.
>>:  I must be facing the wrong microphone.  When I was trying to get my identity as multiple recognized by the school, they informally behavior planned me and dependent just wouldn't change it no matter what was told to them and I just got discouraged for a while from just doing my work and getting the he can out.
WILLIAM:  Wow.  Thank you for sharing.
NINA:  So many factors ‑‑ I was just going say that in the community, there are just like if a CIL, they're ages and everything, ages and life experiences.  And cultural change goes faster than broader societal change which goes faster than laws, which is I may be getting ahead of myself right now, none of us would ever thought that we would seek marijuana being equal in the whole United States but it is now.  So that's why they talk about being on the right side of history i because history ... last thing.
I wanted to give one little example that happened recently here at don't link, we had a exhumer that had been active ... political campaign for someone as a volunteer working hard and diligently, but then there was a volunteer appreciation luncheon scheduled and when our consumer got to that luncheon, it was not wheelchair accessible so she could not participate.  And that was where she was angered and not motivated to work for that candidate anymore.  But she did come and participate in our national disability voter registration week here at the disability link center in person.  And we offered her ideas how to advocate for herself and things like that
So that's just my little example.  I'm sure you all have some better ones or we can go on to the next question
WILLIAM:  Anybody else like to share.
BETH:  We have a share.  Anytime fun events happen and they are an accessible, it makes me not want to go.  Being deaf the lack of interpreters at events is frustrating.
WILLIAM:  Yes.
BETH:  The next one Mrs. Brown.  Our community does an art walks during the summer.  However having a physical disability is ... the sidewalks and streets are blocked off making it difficult to move around and enjoy the event.
The next in group projects some students didn't want to work with me because of my autism diagnosis.  I don't necessarily think this is me reluctant to try again, it just made me preserve then push through.
NINA:  Thank you.
WILLIAM:  Thank you so much.
NINA:  I did see a little earlier than that though something about COVID making it harder, did you see that one.
BETH:  Yes, during COVID, everything so don't even try to do community things anymore.
WILLIAM:  They may have meant everything shut down or I'm not sure.
NINA:  Well it can also be like a ... that's why we try to here at this ... in person meet, but we'll also do the hybrid online meetings on a.m. and with the captioning and everything that we have available.  But it really is a lot of people are afraid to go out.  But then on the other end of the spectrum, we have people who are tired of Zoom.  So we're still space out here and we're still having vaccination drive bus.
And we have the most diverse work environment I've ever been in or seen my life.  It's like disability link is more diverse than George state university
WILLIAM:  I agree.
NINA:  Let's go to the next slide.  Why is this important?  Why differs matters.  It has become more parent that having diverse people in teams in the workplace creates a better atmosphere in the community.  By developing and a implementing strategies to create a more diverse environment, it will attract more team (reading verbatim)  ... and empathy.
Inclusive environment seek out and value individual perspectives, create a sense of belonging, and build deep alignment on a clear objective.
So I just want to say here that this is a great, great did you verse inclusive work environment here at disability link ... but then they're 'em that pathetic and heartfelt and generous for the most part.
WILLIAM:  (chuckling).  Next slide please.  How do we utilize this information our CIL?  Disability link uses this information encourage our consumers to neat the following.  We have review up Georgia and grassroot connectors which seeks to bring together (reading verbatim)  ... with information around voting and issues that affect them.
We have the American association of people with disabilities, the AA PD, summer internship program.  And that we do to give individuals with disabilities opportunities to hold meaningful internships that they're often excluded from because of their disability.
NINA:  And we have our monthly NAUWU meeting that stands for Nothing About Us Without Us.  It's a common disability rights hashtag and slogan, meaning make no decisions about us without us having a seat and a voice at the table.  Our meeting is peer support for disability rights advocates and we must remain nonpartisan so we just inform people about the issues that are important, we can educate them, and also we make calls to action on these issues that affect everyone, but especially the cross disability community.
And during these meetings we try to have speakers or show videos and we do focus a lot on vote because like John Lewis said, freedom fighter, he said that the vote is the most powerful nonviolent that will we have in a democracy.
And as the facility stater to the nothing about us without us I would say ha the review up Georgia and grassroots directors are Zoom meet that bring together disability advocates around vote oh issue, and we try to build bigger coalitions because there's more strength in number.  We can like it says in the next thing coming, advocacy days ... about housing education, transportation, healthcare, all these issues are important to everyone, but the way the problems are with these things as far as money and funding and budgeting, it's just some people are more affected.
For example the voting laws that were just passed this past spring, they disproportionately affect people of color and people with disabilities because of things like transportation and economic status and.  And what I was going say lastly about the nothing about us meeting and hooking that up with ... what I try stood give all the consumers that I come in contact with the same information.  I'm always walking around saying are you registered to vote?  Have you moved lately?  Do you know who your State Representatives are?  And when we have these meetings, I tend to get their e‑mail and send them back links and information so that they can have that at their finger tips, but also the title of our program each one reach one teach one, just like grabbing two people with you, making sure you have a plan to vote and go together, I say, hey, if you're coming to our LBGTQ I  + meeting, bring a peer with you ...
WILLIAM:  Okay (chuckling) I'm going to take over so the sir equal and live programs ‑‑ our CIL offers ... and also digital platforms as well.
Let's move to the next slide.
Diversity and inclusion in practice.  LBGTQ I A P +  + disability.  This group is designed for those at the intersection of LBGTQ I A P +  + and disability.  We focus on public policy discussions and advocacy.  Inclusion, community, and the LBGTQ I A P spaces and group social outings. (reading verbatim) disability link received ... for equity in the workplace.  And greater community for its LBGTQ I A P +  + disability demographic.
Those identifying as LBGTQ I A P and/or with a disability may be other invisible to or further stigmatized by the greater population.
For these reasons our CIL relies on participation and community partnerships, networking with oh agencies and sharing information on social media platforms to grow membership.  Our group offers a safe space for sharing and peer support across the disability and sexuality spectrum.
NINA:  This is Nina again.  I would just like to say here it's actually statistically shown that LBGTQ list  list individuals are even more likely to have a disability than the general population.  And we do know that over 20 percent of the general population has a don't, so this intersection having both of these things is not unusual, but it's hard to find because of the visible vs. invisible identity status, whether it's a sexual orientation or whether it's your disability.  Because you might be able to see that someone's in a while chair but not that they have luncheon us and that it took them 6 hours for them to come see you for a one hour meeting.
And there's also the stigma, the mental health staying ma, it's kind of invisible, also one of these things that's kind of like if they don't ask I'm not going to tell.  I was just reading yesterday that 78 percent of the people with disabilities do not disclose that in a job interview.  So I mean people need to be free to be able to have every single part of their identities, not just accepting, and tolerated, but embraced.
WILLIAM:  Another group we have or another example of diversity inclusion in practice is our us protecting us group this peer lead group actively works on different responses to issues dealing with first responders (reading verbatim)  ... and lawful enforcers.
The group created and continued to improve on a crisis response workshop to educate police and the community hon how to prepare for and respond to potentially danger yet noncriminal situations such as mental health and substance abuse.  Problems only exacerbated by the criminal justice system ... (reading verbatim) on inclusive language.
Next slide please.
Data sharing, population we serve.  It was just so much information that we would have to do that include here, so what Nina and I did was we narrowed it down.  Nina you want to speak to that
NINA:  No, I'll speak the next.
WILLIAM:  (chuckling) okay.  So we talked about accessibility with broadband.  Rural vs. urban.  And how it's not as accessible in a rural area that it is in an urban area.  And then within the rural area there's a subset there where if you're a person of color you have less, less, lesser access to broadband than say the white counterparts.
That's due to affordable, accessibility, availability, all of those factors.
In addition we talked about how the transportation differs in those areas.  It's stated that 24 million, we get this from the United States census, lack access to high speed internet.  And we know that 20 percent of that population have a disability.  And then there's another percentage that might identify as LBGTQ I A P.
NINA:  Yes which as we stated earlier have an even higher percentage of having a disability, more so for the women than the men.  But yet we see a lot of disparities ... (reading verbatim)  ... in featuring that GA BA is one of the states that chose not to expand Medicare benefits, we get a lot of calls here at disability link, most of them about affordable housing.  And this is not the easiest state to get benefits in.  Or to find a place to they have's affordable.  And unless you're right in metro Atlanta, transportation isn't best either.
But we'll move on from that, unless anyone has ‑‑ 
WILLIAM:  And there are many factors that go into that.  We don't have enough time (laughter) to go into that.  But that's something for the next time.
BETH:  We have a question from an anonymous attendee.  Hi, I was wondering how one would should prioritize support when dealing with multiple diagnoses and are a member of the LBGTQ I A P +  + community.
NINA:  Well I would suggest that you find a center for independent living closest to you and become a consumer and hopefully that CIL will have a group like we do that is at the intersection of peer support group, LBGTQ list disability.  If not, it might be good to join someone else's that already exists like the one we have at disability link, or start one.  Get some peers together and start one.  Because it's all ‑‑ it does take a village to get these benefits no matter what your diagnosis is or how many you have or what your orientation is or what your gender identity is, but that can actually make it much worse so when you can find an ally, keep that ally and I don't want to be a commercial for disability link's LBGTQ APA +  +  ... every Wednesday at 530 but there it is.
WILLIAM:  And we can share that information.  If you can't join in person, we do host it also virtually.
Go to the next slide.
Okay this is where we open it up for you to participate.  What would the program look like based on what you heard us say, based on what your experiences are, what would that program look like?  Anyone want to share?
NINA:  You might reach out to people in rural areas, or people of different race, gender identities, et cetera.
>>:  Michael's line is open now.
>>:  Hey, thank you for presenting.  This is meant a lot.  I work at a Center for Independent Living in my saw la Montana and we have a program that we've had the 16 years called base, I think Jake mentioned it earlier.  And something that we've really tried to focus on is creating community based on interests and not necessarily label.
So being an independent living center we obviously have emphasis on disability with all of our programs and we have as high level accessibility as possible, but when it comes to programs like a yoga class or an improve class, really opening that up to the entire community whether it be people with disabilities or not.  So that you have individuals with or without disabilities sharing the same space because they have the same interests and not just sharing a similar space because they identify with disability.
I think that for our programming has really infused a lot of inclusion and fun and kind of a welcoming spirit so.
WILLIAM:  Awesome, thank you for share something to thank you so much because allies, we have allies everywhere in our community.
>>:  And the NWCC I summit you're allowed.
>>:  ...  So what we have here in Summit County is something called building hope.  And it's has more to do with mental health, but that doesn't mean they won't help you figure out something if you have some sort of disability.  But what they do is basically they have all sorts of things from learning how to we would, learning how the ... just fun arts and craft stuff.  For anybody, young, old, and obviously they don't discriminate so I go there a lot.  I'm in a wheelchair, sometimes my hands don't work that well, they will offer any accommodation to me whether it be a big enough space for me and my chair her the person who's actually hosting the event they will help me if I need it.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
>>:  So.
WILLIAM:  And that was called building hope.
>>:  Yeah and it's always great to find little things like that because it's here in our community that those ‑‑ basically will blast it out everywhere in the community and whoever shows up, shows up.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
NINA:  Thank you so much.  And I just wanted to respond a little bit where you said it's mostly for mental health, but then also for people with other disabilities or people in the community, I actually run up against in some of these other groups where we're building coalitions where you'll have different activists or everybody can be like a one issue voter kind of thing?  There's ‑‑ it's great that there are organizations just for the blind, just more mental health, just for spinal biff dark but there's strength when we all come together and I think that education has to do so much with it because even I've met disability rights advocates in the past year who do not see mental health as a disability or have said thing, I'm not going to get all into microaggression, but I can say some of the things like you wouldn't say to me, William, you copies.  Or you wouldn't say ‑‑ I have some friend whose are white.  I have some friend whose are gay.  Just needs little things, it's not coming out clearly, but I get you guys get ...
WILLIAM:  Anyone else, one more.
>>:  One.
BETH:  We have this from Jake Morris, it says community boards are a good way to spread the word.
WILLIAM:  Awesome, yes.  And we thank you for.
NINA:  We need to move forward and get our ‑‑ .
WILLIAM:  So we're thankful that you're sharing and are interactive because we learn from you.  And these were some awesome things that you shared with that has you're doing.
Do we move to the next slide?  Nina's pushing me (laughter).  How can we do a better job of serving everyone with more equity?  Nip want to share?  How we can do a better job of serving everyone with more equity?
NINA:  Seems congruent with the answers we got on the last question.
WILLIAM:  Yeah.
NINA:  We'll go to the next slide.
WILLIAM:  So we want to share with you a few quotes.  This first one was coined by Albert Einstein.  I see something in the chat now, not to discriminate against focus we want to go to school or get a job.  Thank you, Caitlin.
We must not only learn to tolerate our difference, we must welcome them as the richness and diversity which can lead to true intelligence.
NINA:  All right and the next slide just builds on that.  It's bye‑bye Dr. Maya Angelou, we should all know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry and we must under that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.
And that last thing about not being discriminated for jobs, that is so important because we do have program at every CIL to assist in preparing people for work, at whatever level that they may need to be met at.  And I was just speaking with someone the other day about how it's doubly significant Mac if you have a disability and you are LBGTQ +, if you are obviously stereotypically or read that way, you can be doubly stigmatized in seeking work, especially in your right to work state.
The ADA laws do count for us, but they only go so far.
WILLIAM:  Go to the next slide.  Sharing personal experience and resources to inspire peers.  Our stories are our superpower.  When we share them with others.  Offering empathy and support to other rewards everyone involved.  Pierce across the disability spectrum benefit from sharing strength, experiences, empathy and encouragement.
NINA:  Before we ask everybody to answer the question, I want to say a couple things that disability link does.  We offer peer support in all of our programs, but something we haven't mentioned is the respect institute is a training that you can get from Georgia mental health consumer network in which you are taught to hone your own personal story of recovery in a way to tell it and encourage and inspire others to do the same, no matter what they have been through.
So disability link does host the respect substitute meetings quarterly.  And we do have many members of our board and also our consumers that have taken that training as well.
So with that,
WILLIAM:  Question one, what does peer support mean to you?  Would anybody like to share what does peer support mean to you?  From Chris.
NINA:  Excellent.
BETH:  Chris, I have set up a peer support meeting for my high school consumers and I have been such an improvement in moral and self advocacy.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.  Thank you, Chris.  Anyone else?
NINA:  I see Jake's hand is up.  Do you want to go ahead?
>>:  Um, peer peer student means having the support from someone who's lived the same experience as you.  It's a lot easier to give something advice if they share circumstance, whereas it feels a little less genuine when someone who hasn't lived the same experience as you tries to give you advice how to deal with it.
WILLIAM:  Yeah, thank you so much for sharing.
BETH:  Javelin ‑‑ having someone who leaves in you without having to completely understand you.
WILLIAM:  Thank you, Jacklyn.
>>:  This is a great question.  (Michael) I've been involved independent living since 2001 and I think the answer for this has evolved for me personally and looking at the centers and the direction they're heading.
I think when I started peer support was very much disability to disability match kind of system.  So oh, you have this diagnosis, we know slightly older than you that has the same diagnosis, why don't you sit down and have coffee.  And I think sometimes that was successful but more often than not it is putting people together based on diagnosis and I think Jake put it really nicely instead of experience.
So the diagnosis might be a part of, but creating community is more based ‑‑ other experiences.  So not necessarily linking it to diagnosis, but passion and interests and perspective, I think, is a direction I see peer support going in compared to where I saw it when I started.
WILLIAM:  Thank you so much for sharing.  All of you, thank you.  Many of you have answered what the next question which is why peer support is important to you?  In your response to the first question.  But I still want to ask the question if there's anyone else that wants to share.  Why is peer support important to you.
BETH:  We have one.  Somebody that believe in you., encouraging you when you feel discouraged, something standing in your corner cheering you on.  And the next is when diction at the most basic level, peer support and friendship, acceptance, understanding each other.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
>>:  And Madison has also you can unmute and join.
>>:  Hi.  Yeah I'm also actually from summit independent living in my so you la Montana there seems to be a lot of us here (chuckling) for myself it's important to have peer support.  My past experience to speak on that, I'm diagnosed with OCD and anxiety a lot of people think that that's one thing, like obsessed with germs and blah blah, but it's so much more and beyond and deeper than that.
And until I realized that my cousin was also diagnosed and had very similar experienced it felt like it was alone.  And then I didn't have that, it was just like oh no one's ever going to understand me and then I realized my cousin did and we could bond even closer and have someone who knew the other's experience that was really important.
WILLIAM:  I too share that disability.  So I can say I understand you as well (chuckling).
>>:  It's a very stigmatized sort of mental thing, and it's unfortunate because at least in my experience it's nothing like they say in the movies and books stuff like that.  So it's good to have somebody who knows what it truly is you can connect on that and support each other.
WILLIAM:  Thank you for sharing.
>>:  Thank you.
BETH:  And corroborates, validates you are not alone, Gavin states what I can't do by myself I can do with another person because I'm not good at everything, but everyone is good at something.  And together we can do anything.
WILLIAM:  I like that.
NINA:  I like that.
WILLIAM:  I'm going to steal that (chuckling).
BETH:  Sara, peer support is important to me because I understand what others are going to and we mutually respect and honor each other in the group.
WILLIAM:  Wow.
BETH:  And it's also ‑‑ it also is good to have what you're experiencing look at things from the same level.  Peer C thinks differently, many times providers and others and there are rarely stigma around peers.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.  So true.
BETH:  And this ‑‑ .
NINA:  Go ahead.
BETH:  This is ‑‑ it is good to have what you're experiencing look at things from the same level.  Peers see differently, many times than provider, other, and there is a rarely a stigma among peer, sorry, that was repeated.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
NINA:  I would like to say, this is Nina again.  The last thing on the page, please share satisfying instance of giving and/or receiving peer support, and I just had something that's actually peer support is like my favorite part of working at a CIL, and also what what was already said about partnered up with consumers and specialists that don't have the same exact diagnoses but can still offer each other experience and support is great because I had an event last weekend and I had one consumer that was on the spectrum with severe challenges with social anxiety and with noises and things like that.
But does call me for support, e‑mail me for support, and I feel honored to be shared with, but also this person came out with their father and showed up even though it was like to hardest thing in the world just to meet know is.  I'm so honored and to me that was is like a major, major win, success story as far as work at a CIL and doing good.  I'm sure you have some better ones to share if we had time.
BETH:  We have one from Susan.  Yes, I have been a peer support for 8 years.  Starting out in substance abuse and now the disability community.  Not everyone I offer P Sto have had the same experience, diagnosis as I have, by think having lived, experienced, and overcoming challenges, coming out of the fire creates an empathy that is essential in P S.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.  Some good stuff.  Thank you all for sharing.  Do we have more?
BETH:  We have up with more.  Answer to the last question, I was told by a teacher in high school I couldn't get in college.  Let alone in be a sign language interpreter, but I had support and I applied at college to get my degree in sign language and I got accepted into college.
WILLIAM:  Awesome.
NINA:  Well our next slide just says questions, so could we perhaps stop the screen share so that we can see you while we finish up the questions and answers?  Or you can see us (chuckling).
>>:  There is one question in the box, and I think it's a pons to some of the peer support piece, it's given me the courage to find a way to not just ‑‑ to help not just others, but myself too.
WILLIAM:  Yes, I agree with that.
>>:  I was going to say if anyone has question, now would be the time you can raise your hand or comment or drop that into the Q & A box which can be found on the menu bar.  Knew and as I understand we will have a place on the APRIL site to go to for resources and questions and answers?
>>:  If we don't get to all of them, yep.
A M, you are aloud to talk if you want to unmute now
>>:  My name is Amanda.  I was just going to say I just moved out of state for the first time.  I moved from New Mexico to Oklahoma.  And I was denied my care assistant services the first time I applied for them.
And without peer support, I never would have been able to stay the fight to finally get any services.  I finally got them last week after 7 months fighting for them.  So peer support is super important.
WILLIAM:  Thank you Amanda for sharing.  Thank you so much.
NINA:  And I'm so glad that you'd had big one.  I'm sorry it took so long.
>>:  Thank you.
NINA:  Way to go.  Thank you for being with us.
WILLIAM:  Anymore questions?
>>:  I do not see any.
BETH:  We have a few comments or Nina and William.  Jacklyn, sounds like you have a great program at disability links.  Thanks for your presentation, lots of programming ideas.
NINA:  Thank you.
WILLIAM:  Thank you.
BETH:  And the next is Cara, thank you for your presentation.  Great program.
Youth link, I'm Kay and I'm one of the cofounders of youth Lee in North Carolina, a nonprofit that run it is North Carolina youth leadership forum.  I believe that youth leadership forums are prime examples of peer support.  When I went to Y LF the first time it was the first time I was with a room full of other people with disabilities and could share experience to people who understood I have seen how why LF shows others with disabilities what is possible because there are older peers with disability whose are leading full lives
WILLIAM:  Thank you, Kay.
BETH:  And so I would like to thank William and Nina for such a wonderful presentation.  Thank you so much for being APRIL's conference 2021.  And have a great afternoon!  Make sure that you take a break and come back to our next presentation.
>>:  If everyone can remember to complete the evaluation as well.  And thank you Nina and William and Beth.
WILLIAM:  Thank you.