At Disability Rights Washington (DRW), I am faced with this question everyday through the work I do. First off, “disability” is an umbrella term that encompasses different aspects. For instance, there are the obvious, “physical disabilities”, such as when one uses a motorized scooter or wheelchair because walking may be difficult or painful. There are developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome; there are mental disabilities such as posttraumatic stress disorder and learning disabilities like dyslexia. There are others such as deafness, blindness, and even traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
What’s important to understand is that there are people (myself included) who may not define by their disability or think they have a disability. There are days when I do define myself by my disability (I am a Little Person and only stand at 3 ft. 4.5 inches tall), and days where I don’t. But whatever someone chooses to be defined as, it’s important to own who you are and be proud of who you are. Not only that, but I’ve learned that it is important to fight for your rights and have the ability to be an advocate for yourself.
I came into DukeEngage hoping that I would learn how to be a better advocate not just for others with disabilities, but myself included. All of my life, I have had my mom to look for to be my advocate. And now that I am halfway done through college, I am figuring out how I can better advocate and speak up for what I need.
Here is what I’ve learned thus far: