The Powering Through Life Series was made possible by The Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (ADDPC) and UCP of Southern Arizona (UCPSA). The series focuses on ranging from utilizing assistive technology, having healthy relationships, self-advocacy, and navigating boundaries with caregivers and family. The project aims to bring personal narratives of people with disabilities to the forefront and encourage participants to share their own stories and resources with each other.
The speakers have interesting backgrounds. Dominique Leon Guerrero is a graduate of the University of Arizona and has been an employment instructor/job coach for the past two years. She shared some introspection on being female, disabled, and a Korean American. “Collaborating on each section of this project has been like taking four snapshots that have bold, bright, and dark colors and compiling them into a mostly panoramic view of what it is to live life independently with a disability. I hope this series serves as a valuable resource for people with disabilities, and they can use the information in their own way to navigate their lives.”
Earlier this year, during Part Three of the series, presenter Alex Rivera, shared his experiences living in Puerto Rico and dealing with natural disasters as a disabled man. “I think it is important to recognize the vulnerability and challenges that people with disabilities face after a climate disaster. My life experiences have given me the preparation and knowledge to talk about these issues from the disabled perspective. I have learned to be more aware of our community and advocate for our rights and values as human beings.”
The project is managed by a team of presenters and logistics staff, presenter Mark Mendibles shared how this experience has taught him about being a project leader. “This project needs to impact not only the disabled community but also the general population. I hope we can change people's mindsets. This experience has expanded my Self Advocacy. I feel this is a lifelong learning process “.
Julie Williams, logistics lead and an IT Director shared that this experience has expanded her perspectives, and she has enjoyed being a part of the project. “This is a great resource for individuals who utilize medical adaptive equipment to gain more independence. The information presented is also useful to professionals who work in the disability community. Greater awareness of the challenges individuals with disabilities face will facilitate change in society to be more inclusive and decrease negative biases. “
Vanessa Zuber, logistics lead on the project and a Director for UCP of Southern AZ, was a huge proponent of the project and felt the voices of people with disabilities are rarely represented and are diverse and layered. “I feel it is important for people to hear stories covering topics we barely touch on and for our disabled community to speak on topics they can chime in or lend more perspective to. Disability is a spectrum and not always homogenous with non-disabled experiences.”
The group is looking into various ways to expand the project with the support of UCP of Southern AZ and possible grant funding. The team feels they may be able to continue the project by doing a monthly Podcast or hosting Powering Through Life group sessions throughout the year.
Part 4 of the Powering Through Life series will cover intimacy and relationships, Aging, and End of Life planning. This will be held at the UCP of Southern AZ Community room on May 9th from 4-6pm. Light snacks will be provided, and all people must register for the event. If you have questions, contact the project staff at poweringthroughlifeseries@workabilityucpsa.org or Alex Rivera, at 520 – 344 – 8250.
To register please visit the landing page at https://mailchi.mp/051cbd17be7f/powering-through-life to learn more about past presentations and resources.
Register link
