What do you see when you look at me?

1. What do you see when you look at me? New Mexico Disability Youth Leaders Focus on Future Leaders! Collaborative Project between Governor’s Commission on Disability and UNM’s Center for Development and Disability

2. WHO WE ARE • We are nine, highly-motivated, youth with disabilities from across New Mexico! • We call ourselves “New Mexico Disability Youth Leaders” or NMDYL. • We are the future leaders of New Mexico! • We have fresh solutions and take life’s challenges head on! • We decided that the purpose of our Program is to educate the public through Disability Awareness.

3. New Mexico Disability Youth Leaders • We work as a team to design and direct this Disability Awareness Program with the support of project staff. • We are a collaborative project between New Mexico’s Governor’s Commission on Disability and UNM’s Center for Development and Disability. • Our project started July 1, 2010 and is currently funded through June 30, 2012. • We have four strategies for our Disability Awareness Program.

4. Four Program Strategies These strategies include: • Educational “Disability Awareness” curriculum for classroom instruction 3rd– 5thgrades, • Outreach presentations, • Media campaign, including social media, and • Public policy advocacy We decided that our theme or tag line for these strategies is: “What do you see when you look at me?” and “You see people like you!”

5. Educational Curriculum • We adapted the “Dewey Do It” Curriculum and included 3 additional children’s books related to different disability types. • We added information about accessibility and respectful behavior to the curriculum. • We developed a train-the-teacher process for a 5 lesson curriculum for 3rd - 5thgrades. • We are in the process of working with 4 pilot sites across Albuquerque.

6. Outreach Presentations • We designed a 90-minute, interactive outreach presentation focused on our theme “What do you see when you look at me?” • Each of us have developed our own presentation to increase awareness about our disabilities. • These presentations include a hands-on game or activity which helps the audience to understand how each disability impacts daily life.

7. Media Campaign • We are in the process of creating multiple media strategies focused on educating the public through disability awareness. • We developed our own Social Media Guidelines. • Some of these strategies include: • A website: http://www.whatdousee.org/ • Blog, Forum, Chat • Facebookpage: New Mexico Youth Leaders • A Twitter account • Billboard series with QR Code for Smart Phones • 30-second Public Service Announcements • A logo and business cards • Informational brochures and radio spots

8. Public Policy Advocacy • We are currently in the process of developing the wording for a bill on “disability awareness and history” based on Missouri’s version. • Several of us have completed or in the process of completing training “Partners in Policymaking” and other public policy workshops.

9. What do you see when you look at me? New Mexico Disability Youth Leaders Focus on Future Leaders! Collaborative Project between Governor’s Commission on Disability and UNM’s Center for Development and Disability

10. ~ My Name is Daniel ~ • I am a husband, uncle and college graduate. I am passionate about history, sports and love learning new things. • We are all different. • Some small things that are the same: • We can have a hard time understanding what people say with their bodies • We are more aware of our senses (touching, tasting, sound, lights) • It can be hard to know how to have fun with other people, but we like to learn and are quick learners. You see: A Person with Autism

11. Have you ever had someone not understand what you are saying? • Let’s play a game • You are going to talk with each other for five minutes, BUT YOU CAN’T USE ANY WORDS. • You have to find some way to talk (and you can’t write, speak, or sign the word). • After 5 minutes, I want you to tell me what your classmates said to you. • Then I want you to tell me what you said to your classmates.

12. ~ My Name is Adela ~ • I like photography. I use American Sign Language to communicate. I have a 2 year old daughter who is learning sign language like her mom. • I can’t hear at all. Hearing aids do not benefit me. I had cochlear implants as a child, this does help me hear background noise but not speech. • I need to use sign language interpreters to understand speech. • I use videophones to call people. • I use flashing lights to hear the door, the phone ring, and hear my daughter cry. • You see: A person who is Deaf

13. ~ My Name is Tanisha ~ • I went to the National Helen Keller Center (NHKC) for one year and received mobility training, independent living, speech, and learned how to use the computer. • I was chosen by the NHKC to be the Helen Keller Deaf –Blind representative for their poster and magazine. • I have usher syndrome and this causes me to be Deaf and Blind. • I use spoken English to hearing people. I use Pidgen Sign Language to Deaf People. • I use two hearing aids to hear speech, without it I cannot hear it. I need to read lips to understand what I hear, if I do not see your lips I cannot understand you. • I can use the regular phone if I need to, but most of the time I use the videophone. There is a flashing light for my videophone to let me know someone is calling me. • I use my cane to help me get around as I’m considered to have a tunnel vision now. • I can read braille, and have learned it since I was five years old. • You see: A Person who is Deaf-Blind

14. How would you communicate if you couldn’t hear? • I will teach you American Sign Language and Fingerspelling. • ABC’s • Introduction (Hello, How are you, What is your name?) • Family (mom, dad, brother, sister, baby) • Animals (Dog, Cat, bird…….)

15. ~ My Name is Sergio ~ • I am a self-advocate and I like to teach others what I have learned. • I need to be taught something in a way that is more simple and easier to understand. • I might forget something that is taught to me. • I want to have accommodations. • I might need a notetaker to help take notes so I can remember everything. • I might need some extra time to do an assignment. • I might want a tutor to help me understand the assignment. You see: A person with a learning disability

16. What is the way you like to learn? • Let’s play a game • We want to see what you remember • Two teams • Each person have card to hold • When first team, one person pick other team to see if match card. • Next person turn and try see if they can find their card match from other team.

17. ~ My Name is Tara ~ • I have a BA in Linguistics and have visited Paris, France. • I can only see light. • I use Braille. • I use a guide dog, Rica now, but I used to use a white cane. I carry my cane with me in case Rica is confused. • I use a screen reader on my computer to do things like check email, use the internet, etc. • I listen to the cars and when the closest ones to me go through the intersection, I know it’s safe to cross the street. • You See: A Person who is Blind

18. ~ My Name is Lindsay ~ • I am a person who has traveled to 8 countries. • I stayed 2 months at the Olympic Training Center to try out for the USA women’s goal ball team. • I am visually challenged and travel with a guide dog named Cory. • You See: A Person who is Visually Challenged

19. How would you get around and/or “see” if you were blind? • Now I would like you to pair off by twos. One of you will be blind, then other sighted. The sighted person will guide the blind person around the room using “sighted guide” and a white cane. Then you will switch and the other person will be blindfolded. • Next, I will let everyone see how a guide dog works by walking around the room using Rica. I will then take her out of harness, and allow everyone to pet Rica or Cory.

20. ~ My Name is Amira ~ • 30 year old Muslim female who has overcome physical and learning disabilities and who has achieved 2 bachelor college degrees.  • One degree in chemistry and another degree in psychology. I don’t let any challenges stop what I want to do. • Obstacles that I have had to deal with are Cerebral Palsy and many surgeries in my life. • And many people telling me I wouldn’t make it in school or the professional world. • I have a very closet net family. I am 1 of 5 children. I never looked at myself like I had a disability. • You See: A Person with Physical Disabilities

21. I CAN DO IT JUST AS WELL AS ANYONE CAN • This game needs to be in groups of two. The object is of the game is to accomplish certain task with and without help of someone and/or adapted equipment. Each Task will take about 10-15 Minutes. Please bring any adapted equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, straws, special spoons and cups, etc. or they will be provided. • INSTRUCTIONS: • Have the participants take away the use of there limbs and there ability to do the particular task that is chosen by the team they need to do to accomplish first with help using adapted equipment or the help of someone. Then try the same task with no help from someone or the adapted equipment. After 10-15 Minutes of doing the task they can write on a card how they accomplished the goal with the equipment and without it and how it made them feel to rely on someone else or something else,  and how much they trusted and relied in the other person or equipment, but let them know also that people that need adapted equipment can do anything and everything if they put there mind to it just like a "normal" person could.

22. ~ My Name is Shane ~ • I am a single father to an 8 year old son and I also work as a computer tech to help people with their computers remotely. • I am a leader to others and am relied on often to figure things out. • I am paralyzed shoulders down like Christopher Reeve, and do everything with my head. • You See: A Person with Physical Disabilities

23. My Name is Adam… • I am a business owner. • My favorite quote is: “The only limitations you have are the ones you put on yourself.” • I advocate! • You See: A Person with Physical Disabilities

24. The Bottom Line: • Remember what you see when you look at me! You see, we are people just like you! • We access the environment in different ways to get success!

25. Questions for the Panel Address your brief question to one of the panel members (state their name). YOUTH LEADERS:PROJECT STAFF: Adam Adela Barbara Daniel LindsayLisa SergioShane Yvonne Tanisha Tara

26. How to Contact Us • Phone: (505) 272-6271 • Website: www.whatdousee.org • Facebook: New Mexico Youth Leaders • Email: info@whatdousee.org • FAX: (505) 272-9594 Thank You!