Part 2 of "Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability" published July 2019. Years after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I had finally begun to accept my disability and my limitations, when I met my friend and greatest mentor, Richard Meritzer, who introduced me to the amazing world that … Continue reading Advocacy
Author: raisecenter
The National Resources for Advocacy, Independence, Self-determination and Employment (RAISE) Technical Assistance Center works with the seven (7) RSA-funded Parent Training & Information Centers to develop and disseminate information and resources that increase their capacity to serve youth and young adults with disabilities and their families.
RAISE supports RSA-PTIs and OSEP Parent Centers so they can:
1. Increase their knowledge and skills for serving of youth with disabilities & their families
2. Improve the quality of family and youth resources
3. Collaborate with state agencies, independent living centers, and others impacting transition outcomes
4. Increase access to high quality resources
5. Empower the voice of youth and families
6. Improve the lives of people with disabilities
Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability
Hi. My name is Alisa Grishman. I’m 37 years old, I’m disabled, and I love it. Giving you a moment here to digest that… My disability is as beautiful to me as my storm cloud-grey eyes and my tattoos, and just as how I get annoyed at my hair for being frizzy or notice the … Continue reading Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability
Finding Your Own Way: Dignity of Risk
by Everett Deibler Almost all of us have had a parent or guardian utter the words, “Just wait until you get older; you will understand.” As a teenager with Cerebral Palsy in a single parent household, I thought I would never understand why my mother made me do things that, as she would say, “will … Continue reading Finding Your Own Way: Dignity of Risk
Significantly Able to Work: Employment for the Significantly Disabled
by Dr. Josie Badger As an individual with a significant physical disability—requiring the use of a ventilator, power wheelchair, and 24-hour care—it was difficult to identify a career where I could maintain my physical health while being employed full time. In relatively recent history, individuals with more significant physical disabilities are surviving and thriving. Although … Continue reading Significantly Able to Work: Employment for the Significantly Disabled
Managing Independence
by Heather Tomko Growing up with a disability meant a different kind of parent-child relationship than a lot of my friends. My parents were my parents, but until I left for college, they were also my sole caregivers. In some ways, it was great – there’s always someone around when you need help, and I … Continue reading Managing Independence
Love Because, Never Despite, Disability
by Jessica Benham There are few stories told in TV shows and movies about people like me in romantic relationships, and those stories that are told rarely paint being with someone like me as desirable. Me Before You is perhaps the most extreme depiction of this type, painting disability as a fate worse than death … Continue reading Love Because, Never Despite, Disability
Disability and Intersectionality: Not the “Default Disabled Person”
by Cori Frazer When I was initially asked to write about intersectionality in the context of disability, I was excited. Intersectional disability justice is incredibly important to me. But the more I thought about it, I wondered where I could add to the fantastic work of the queer black and brown disabled organizers who developed … Continue reading Disability and Intersectionality: Not the “Default Disabled Person”
Contrasting Crowns: Redefining Beauty and Disability
by Kyann Flint When I was little, I did not know of anyone who was like me to which I could aspire. I do not want that to be the case for others; I desire to be that role model for girls growing up today. I have grown up with multiple disabilities. Disability is a … Continue reading Contrasting Crowns: Redefining Beauty and Disability
Medical Science vs. Identity
by Anomie Fatale The only thing scarier than having a medical condition is having one that most doctors don’t know anything about. We try to assure ourselves that modern medicine has advanced to where all conditions are known and treatments have been safely tested. We don’t want to think about how we might actually be … Continue reading Medical Science vs. Identity
Access to Employment Means More Than Getting a Job
by Cara Liebowitz Two years ago, I had almost given up hope that I would ever work a steady job. I was living on Long Island, in a suburb of New York City, just a short train ride away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan: land of opportunity, jobs, and some of the best pizza … Continue reading Access to Employment Means More Than Getting a Job
