Embracing Disability: Looking Beyond Productivity as a Benchmark for Success
Saturday, June 2, 2018
1:00 - 1:45 pm
Saturday, June 2, 2018
1:00 - 1:45 pm
"Embracing your Disability: Looking Beyond Productivity as a Benchmark for Success"
Yolanda Vargas
The basis of this workshop stems from being the child of a person who immigrated from Mexico.Since I can remember my father pushed me to be the best, expecting me to bring home "A+'s" which do not even exist, but he wanted me to accomplish this by ignoring and erasing my physical and mental disabilities. All of those things are part of me but for many years out of respect for the sacrifices made by my father I based my value and self worth as a human being on how much I could do, and how many awards and accolades that I could receive, and how well I "overcame"my disabilities. Ultimately though, a pattern would emerge where I would push myself to a breaking point and began a downward spiral; Which would fuel this need to prove myself worthy of respect. And on and on the cycle would go. I want to share with people the social model of disability which focuses on empowering disabled people and respecting disability as a natural part of life. That embracing your disability doesn't necessarily mean loving all of the side effects, What it actually means is that you are respecting every part of yourself. Including limitations created by a disability. Learning how to navigate life of the disability is a long-term project, and accepting disability is just the first step in that journey. We will unpack the unique experiences that Latinx disabled people encounter because of the intersection of culture, religion, race, and familial history of immigration. Loving yourself is a revolutionary act, not a sign of disrespect to those that have made sacrifices on your behalf.
Yolanda Vargas
The basis of this workshop stems from being the child of a person who immigrated from Mexico.Since I can remember my father pushed me to be the best, expecting me to bring home "A+'s" which do not even exist, but he wanted me to accomplish this by ignoring and erasing my physical and mental disabilities. All of those things are part of me but for many years out of respect for the sacrifices made by my father I based my value and self worth as a human being on how much I could do, and how many awards and accolades that I could receive, and how well I "overcame"my disabilities. Ultimately though, a pattern would emerge where I would push myself to a breaking point and began a downward spiral; Which would fuel this need to prove myself worthy of respect. And on and on the cycle would go. I want to share with people the social model of disability which focuses on empowering disabled people and respecting disability as a natural part of life. That embracing your disability doesn't necessarily mean loving all of the side effects, What it actually means is that you are respecting every part of yourself. Including limitations created by a disability. Learning how to navigate life of the disability is a long-term project, and accepting disability is just the first step in that journey. We will unpack the unique experiences that Latinx disabled people encounter because of the intersection of culture, religion, race, and familial history of immigration. Loving yourself is a revolutionary act, not a sign of disrespect to those that have made sacrifices on your behalf.