The Executive Director of the Association of the University Centers on Disabilities, Andrew Imparato, will be conducting a presentation entitled “The Impact of Grassroots Advocacy on Disability Policy” from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, at the Center Salon B with a reception and poster gallery to follow.
“Disability issues do bring people together across party lines, and if you just think about how divided the country is right now, I feel like we need issues that people can agree to help remind people that we’re not divided on everything,” Imparato said. “I do think this is an issue that can help heal the country.”
People who have disabilities or their family members, can often times reach elected officials in a different way, Imparato said.
“Part of our five-year strategic plan is to have a policy initiative to help bring family and individual voice to state and national policies that relate to individuals with developmental and other disabilities,” Sandy Root-Elledge, the Executive Director and Associate Lecturer for Wyo Institute for Disabilities (WIND), said.
At the University of Wyoming, through student groups such as Abilities, there is a reflection of other national movements, such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network that helps to bring perspective about those involved with disabilities.
“We’ve had a student group that, kind of, organized and has grown over the last several years called Abilities,” Michelle Jarman, Associate Professor for Disabilities Studies, said. “That’s a student organization. So, they’ve done a lot on campus just to be student advocates for acts, you know, accessibility, making it more visible.”
In these advocacy movements, the first-hand accounts are the best advocates for more recognition and to bring perspective to the disabled community, in particular those involved in the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
Young adults, in their 20s and 30s, are testifying in front of congress. They push for competitive integrative employment and good quality education and inclusive environments, Imparato said.
Currently, there is a lot of advocacy for employment. By seeing improvement in employment, it will show improvements in education as education is necessary for employment, said Imparato.
