Presenters: Scott Heinzman, Peg Ball, Micah Fialka-Feldman, and Rich Feldman
What does it mean to transform ourselves and our institutions in the struggle to create inclusive community? What are the issues and attitudes driving people with disabilities to challenge themselves and our society to move from a society of exclusion and segregation to one of inclusion and compassion? Featuring video produced by people with disabilities, this workshop will provide an introduction to the Disability Rights/Disability Pride movement.
In Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories, the Empowered Fe Fes (slang for female), a group of young women with disabilities, hit the streets of Chicago on a quest to discover the difference between how they see themselves and how others see them. Their revelations are humorous, thought provoking and surprising. As the young women grapple with issues as diverse as access, education, employment, sexuality and growing up with disabilities, they address their audience with a sense of urgency, as if to say, "I need to tell you so you'll see me differently."
This workshop will also feature footage summarizing a national action by American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) which took place in Lansing, MI in 1995. ADAPT is intent on changing Medicaid rules, so people can choose where they receive long term care services. Current legislation for the Community Choice Act of 2007 was recently introduced in both houses of Congress largely due to ADAPT's consistent pressure across the country.
