The Interview Process: Leveraging Personal and Lived Experience

Posted on by Editor in Disability Perspectives

My name is Nico Santiago. I am an industrial design student going into my senior year at Rochester Institute of Technology. I’m currently learning how to go through the interview process, write a targeted resume, and build a portfolio. My dream is to one day own a small industrial design firm focused on creating products for people with disabilities. Growing up with Congenital Myasthenia Gravis (CMG) taught me that the world was not designed for people like me. Today, I’ll share some tips and insights on how to communicate lived experience as an advantage during internship or job interviews.

SUNY Cortland’s Outdoor Education Practicum: An Adventure in Leadership, Empathy, and Adaptation

Posted on by Editor in Inclusive Experiences

Operations Director, Caralie Fennessey, went into the woods back in May 2021 to serve as an alumna Trip Leader for SUNY Cortland’s Outdoor Education Practicum — a required course for all students enrolled in majors associated with Recreation, Parks, and Leisure studies. The semester-long course, capped by a two-week experience immersed in the Adirondack region, teaches techniques and practices for inclusive outdoor education, organized camping, and back-country travel. Read about her adventures on a trip underscored by leadership, loss, empathy here.

Differences in Design: Accessible, Inclusive, And Universal

Posted on by Editor in Disability Perspectives

My name is Nico Santiago. I am an industrial design student going into my junior year at Rochester Institute of Technology. My dream is to one day own a small industrial design firm focused on creating products for people with disabilities. Growing up with Congenital Myasthenia Gravis (CMG) taught me that the world was not designed for people like me. Today, I’ll break down different design approaches.

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Closing the Digital and Disability Divides in Upstate New York

Posted on by Editor in Disability Perspectives, Resources

Our lifestyles become increasingly more digital by the day. It’s here, within this digital revolution, that two long-established issues have collided. The good news is that we can start to shrink the gaps of the disability and digital divides through the prioritization of accessibility in our tech development, content creation, and distribution processes. Let’s see how we’re working on this right here in Upstate New York.

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Ableism: Listening, Learning, & Unlearning

Posted on by Editor in Disability Perspectives, Resources

Ableism is discrimination in favor of able-bodied people, and there are MANY ways in which it can manifest. Whether conscious or subconscious, ableism affects people with disabilities in a negative way — a way that people without disabilities could never truly understand. So if you don’t have a disability, and you’ve never given much thought to this particular “ism,” it’s time to start listening, learning, and unlearning from those who know it best through living it.

Cover image of blog featuring an orange background serving as a desk with a notepad that reads 2021 Resolutions with 5 bullet point spaces. Trinkets surround the desk including pens and glasses

5 New Year’s Resolutions to Inspire Inclusion

Posted on by Editor in Inclusive Experiences, Resources

It’s that time of year again, where we reflect on our trip around the sun and set our sights on the next one. This New Year looks unlike any other, but it’s still worthwhile to think about goals, dreams, changes, or systems we’d like to incorporate into our lifestyle. Let’s break down some open-ended resolutions to kickstart an inclusive year ahead, below.

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Making the Holidays Magical (and Inclusive) Amid a Pandemic

Posted on by Editor in Resources

‘Tis the season to… keep our circle small and safe, continue washing our hands, and reach out virtually to those we can’t see in person! Just like everyday life since early Spring, this holiday season looks and feels different. With a bit of creativity, though, we can still enjoy an unforgettable season that keeps us connected. Check out this quick list of holiday ideas for inspiration.

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The Start of the Highway

Posted on by Editor in Disability Perspectives

Welcome to our new blog, where we’ll share our trials, successes, insights, and more. We don’t set out to be an all-knowing voice of everyone, but we promise to keep the conversation on these important topics, realities, and advances going. We hope you’ll stick around for our Reflections from the Road. Let’s start at the beginning.