Names, Labels, Audience

I've been asked by the Council for Disabilities Concerns to join the committee that plans a disabilities awareness week. It also asked if my student organization would consider collaborating. I wrote back saying that I would let them know within 2 weeks of my personal decision as well as my student organization. I can only imagine how our organization meeting will go on Tuesday.

I had a big discussion over this e-mail and Council with my friend in my University's office for student disabilities. She had been the committee and knows what it's like. She revealed some important details for me to be aware of.

Really, I feel like ever since I sent out that e-mail in October, I've been poached in a way by the chair. Is it because I'm the "next" generation? My friend seems to think so when I inquired about the members' ages. How would a "fresh" face like me change the things that they do? That's my big question. I told my friend that I wasn't going to walk into that room unless they can make definite promises that they will listen and respect me. If they aren't going to change anything, then I'm walking out.

One thing that does bother me is the name, "Investing in Abilities" week. As I mentioned in my previous entry, my student newspaper published a very nice article. They used "disabilities" and drew a number of reader responses on the site. I should also point out that there was a sharp difference in the audience size between the two deaf panels. The one sponsored by CDC drew only probably about 20 people. But the one my student organization threw packed the room- about 80 or so. We had called it "Deaf Culture 101" while they called it "Panel on Deafness." But my point, really, is how they planned for that week. I noticed that a lot of it is focused on the University employees rather than students and it's much more geared towards the adult population in the town, not students. (While on the surface the relations between the student body and town looks good, there's a pretty sharp divide.)

I digress. "Investing in Abilities" says what? Nothing. Yes, the focus is to demonstrate that people with disablities can work just as well as other people. But it's far too ambiguous. People do respond when it's clear -something like "Investing in Disabilities." But of course, it's not going to be what they want. Even though I do focus on what I am able to do, I still need to take care of the fact that I still have disabilities to deal with. It's part of our lives.

There's also a graduate student organization called "Students with Disabilities for Social Justice." I must say I also cringe at the name. Social justice? Even though I took a history course focusing on that, I still don't buy it. Especially for this- "social justice" has a real political connotation to it. Is it trying to create a movement? No, I found out that it's really about students taking a particular task to help raise awareness of their needs. It's not really collaborative as I thought it'd be. It even already claimed that didn't want to be "politically affiliated." So then, what's with the name?

Then I came across an article by Smith College, where I used to attend for a year, written by a group of students with disabilities looking to start their own organization-Dis/Ability. Fabulous. That slash separates the prefix from the stem yet you still get the whole word. I read into the article and felt inspired. Depending how things go over the next week or so, I may want to get in touch with the students just to talk to them for some "fresh" ideas. Sure, Smith College is like.... 8% of the size of my University... but it doesn't hurt.

It does annoy me that I've been pulled into this community even though all I wanted was just to find support from other deaf people. It's just that, you know, I just look at my world different from most of these people. I'm much more optimistic, confident, and assertive (in a diplomatic manner). I'm not angry nor am I looking for pity from others. You go with the flow and just adapt.

But it's what happens when you're in a big University where there are so many more opportunities and resources than your little liberal arts college. You find more people like you even if you didn't ask for it.

But really, "Investing in Abilities"? It's not gonna draw any crowd if you can't tell that they're looking to raise awareness about a community of people with disabilities.