Disabled Women's Empowerment
Saturday, June 2, 2018
10:00 - 10:45 am

Wheel Magnolias: Empowered Women with Disabilities
What makes you a strong woman? What fulfills you as a woman? How do you empower yourself and the women around you? In this session, activist and self-advocate speaker Renee Lopez of VSA Texas’ Opening Minds, Opening Doors public speaker training program will moderate a panel discussion of four professional women with disabilities living in the Austin community as they answer these and other questions related to women’s empowerment. Hear how these women achieved both personal and professional fulfillment. Through their personal experiences and their involvement with organizations, including the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, VSA Texas, ADAPT of Texas, Capital Metro Paratransit and SafePlace’s Disability Services, these women can speak at length about the issues that affect modern women as well as how those issues are colored by the disability experience. Hear the discrimination they faced as women living with disabilities and absorb how they broke social and political barriers, shifted negative perceptions, and promoted equality through self-advocacy. Participants in this workshop will learn the skills and inner strengths these women used to advocate for themselves to become successful. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in a meaningful discussion with the panelists. 

Renee Lopez
I am a 56 year old woman with a physical disability (I use a wheelchair). I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. I have lived here my entire life. I graduated from the University of Texas in 1984 and 1986 with a BA and an M.Ed. respectively. I worked for the State of Texas for 30 years and am now retired. I have a long history of advocating for the rights of people with disabilities since 1982 when a student at The University of Texas.  As a student with a life-long physical disability, I joined other students with disabilities for campus accessibility. I continue to advocate to this day. As a retiree, I spend my time working with nonprofit organizations. I am currently on the Board of AHA!(Accessible Housing Austin!) whose mission is to promote accessible, integrated, affordable housing for people with disabilities. I am also on the Board of VSA Texas, the State organization for Arts and People with disabilities. I am on the Advisory Board for SAFE Disability Services and have been a member since 2010.  I have attended conferences on behalf of SAFE as a workshop presenter teaching and informing conference attendee's on issues of sexual abuse involving persons with Developmental Disabilities. I am also a member of a core group of a coalition put together by the VERA Institute of Justice on ending violence against people with disabilities.  

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