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WID Kicks-off its 25th Anniversary Campaign at Ever Widening Circle 2008
The Blind Boys of Alabama performing at WID's 25th Anniversary. Photo by Anne Hamersky
World Institute on Disability Board of Directors toast WID's 25th anniversary with Executive Director Kathy Martinez at the reception. Pictured from left to right in the back row, Susan Mazrui, Stanley Yarnell, Sam Simon, Kathy Martinez, Ken Chrisman, Susan Daniel and Linda Dardarian. Pictured left to right in the front row, Marty Schukter and Neil Jacobson. Photo by Anne Hamersky
MC Carolyn Jones introduces WID's Executive Director, Kathy Martinez at Ever Widening Circle 2008. Photo by Anne Hamersky
WID Executive Director Kathy Martinez addresses the audience as Joe Quinn provides ASL interpretation in the background. Photo by Anne Hamersky
Debby Kaplan receives a Pioneer Award from WID Directors Sam Simon and Susan Mazrui, pictured from right to left. Photo by Anne Hamersky
Joan Leon, one of WID's founders, accepts a Lifetime Achievement Award as WID Director Stanley Yarnell listens. Photo by Anne Hamersky
WID Director Susan Mazrui and Marty Schulter, Chair of WID's Board of Directors, present Rachelle Chong with the 2008 Policy and Advocacy Award, pictured from left to right. Photo by Anne Hamersky
The Blind Boys of Alabama perform as Sherry Hicks provides ASL interpretation in the background. Photo by Anne Hamersky
On November 7, 400 friends, allies and supporters of the World Institute on Disability celebrated WID’s 25th anniversary at Ever Widening Circle, our annual gala event featuring world-class performers with disabilities, held in the grand ballroom at the Oakland Marriott.
The evening began with a reception in the foyer adjacent to the ballroom, where everyone enjoyed a range of hors d’oeuvres. Carolyn Jones of the San Francisco Chronicle was the MC for the evening’s program, and after thanking thanked everyone for attending and their continued support, WID Executive Director Kathy Martinez presented highlights of WID’s current programs as well as significant accomplishments, and made a passionate call to action in this new century and with a new administration about to take power (a full transcript of Kathy Martinez’s speech is included at the end of this article).
The evening continued with awards for outstanding contributions to the disability community followed by a video retrospective highlighting 25 years of WID’s accomplishments. Deborah Kaplan, WID’s Executive Director from 1997-2004, received a Pioneer Award for her contributions to make technology accessible to people with disabilities, and Liane Yasumoto, Executive Director of Disability!Culture!Talent! (CDT), received a Pioneer Award for her work promoting artists with disabilities. Ever Widening Circle, now in its 10th year, is the brainchild of both Kaplan and Yasumoto.
Joan Leon and Judy Heumann were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards for founding WID in 1983 with the late Ed Roberts as well as their tireless efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities everywhere. The Policy and Advocacy Award was given to Rachelle Chong of the California Public Utilities Commission for her advocacy to make technology accessible to persons with disabilities.
After attendees indulged in a selection of delectable desserts, the Grammy-winning Blind Boys of Alabama delivered an uplifting performance of their unique interpretations of traditional gospel, enhanced by secular songs with a spiritual message. To the delight of the audience, the repertoire included their soulful version of “Amazing Grace,” sung to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun.”
WID extends a very special thanks to our 2008 Presenting Sponsors: Verizon, AT&T and Wells Fargo. We are also grateful to our Supporting Sponsor, Chevron, and our Sustaining Sponsor, PG&E. This event could not have happened without their generous contributions.
WID would also like to thank everyone that helped make this event possible, including ASL Interpreters Sherry Hicks and Joe Quinn, Audio Vision for providing audio description, members of the community who volunteered at the event, MC Carolyn Jones, and our media sponsor, the San Francisco Chronicle.
For 10 years, Ever Widening Circle has battled negative stereotypes of disabled people and serves as a model for presenting entertainment that is accessible for all audiences. Recent performances have included comedian Josh Blue, then 13-year old composer and pianist Matt Savage, and internationally renowned AXIS Dance Company, comprised of dancers with and without disabilities.
***
Thank you, Carolyn, and thank you to every one of you for being a part of this milestone event. The last 25 years of WID have proven that change is possible, and you are all a part of that legacy. The struggle for the rights of people with disabilities began in the hearts and was refined in the minds of many of the people we just saw and heard in the video. Now, it is a phenomenon that has spread from Bangkok to Baghdad and Austria to Zimbabwe. WID is proud to be a part of the international groundswell resulting in the first human rights treaty adopted by the UN in the 21st century. The Convention on the rights and dignity of people with disabilities is in force at the UN, and over 100 countries so far have committed to developing practical, outcome based plans to increase participation in society of disabled people in the areas of education, political participation and economic integration.
To keep the "world" in the World Institute on Disability, WID staff continue to learn from our sisters and brothers in developing countries-- working with local NGOs across conflict zones in the Caucasus about how war impacts people with disabilities and how disability can be a bridge to resolving conflict; how our compañeros in Brazil have very successful employment programs through their Independent Living centers and how those centers are no longer dependent on governmental support.
Our work in Mexico and Central and South America taught us how to create and build Proyecto Visión, the first U.S. technical assistance center for Latinos with disabilities, and how to really connect with people from other countries who don't understand the concept of a social safety net; who are more likely to be injured on their jobs; who will not be referred to an Independent Living center but rather go back to an inaccessible house in the barrio never knowing about personal assistant services, accessible technology or the idea of disability pride. With your help, WID will link people of color with disabilities to information, services and access to opportunities, all of which are building blocks to choice. WID, alongside all of you, has fought and advocated for access to the environment, transportation, information and education. We're not there, but that train has left the station, and it will stop in every village all over the world.
Although we've all been talking about employment, economic integration, not much has changed in that regard for people with disabilities since the passage of the ADA. Why do we still have an unemployment rate of 70%? Some would say, "It's easier to stay on benefits," and employers are afraid of lawsuits, and attitudes of nondisabled people are based on fear, stereotypes and misconceptions. All of these are true, but equally as true is that we are trying to fit a 21st century peg into a 20th century hole.
We plan to change this, shoulder to shoulder with you. We can no longer have a disability benefits system that keeps us trapped in poverty by not allowing us to save, so we can eventually cut loose. We can no longer have a disability benefits system that legislates "disability is synonymous with being unable to work." We can no longer abide a healthcare system that views us as sick and in need of fixing. To quote my esteemed colleagues, Bryon MacDonald and Tom Foley, we must break the mold and use our benefits and our healthcare system as employment supports, not employment disincentives.
Because I was on SSI for so many years, I can tell you I never learned about budgets, how to save or even valued saving, because I could only have $2000 in the bank, and if I went over that limit, my benefits were reduced. What are we thinking? Out of one side of our mouths we talk about full integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of society; on the other hand we're dragged down by an archaic system. We can't afford this, as individuals or as a nation.
Of course, many of us don't have the skills to work at all. Some of us have the capacity to only work part time, and some of us can hold down full-time jobs. To increase our overall employment, we need all these options on the table. Plus, we have learned from our Disability Benefits 101 and Access to Assets projects how critical it is to get timely information about the myriad of services and their linkages that can add up a person getting a job or staying in a job. Technology is the connective tissue in this equation. Accessible technology cannot be half-decades behind-- it cannot be an afterthought or an add-on.
Putting disability within the diversity agenda of corporations and major employers, such as government, can help put this effort into fast-forward. This is where we people with disabilities must be ready to learn how to participate and join the work of these committees and boards, so inclusion moves beyond a concept and becomes a practice. We have to get past Disability Awareness Month!
WID cannot do this alone and is pooling its forces with the other disability-led organizations to form the Ed Robert Campus, which we anticipate will be a model of collaboration and prove that the whole can be more than a sum of its parts. To make this a reality, we need to engage the next generations-- are they here tonight?
Over the last week, we have heard about and, more importantly, witnessed leadership. One of the best quotes I heard about why the Obama campaign was successful is that instead of being guided by the lights of passing ships, it steered by the stars. Let's follow this example.
Kathy Martinez, November 7, 2008
The evening began with a reception in the foyer adjacent to the ballroom, where everyone enjoyed a range of hors d’oeuvres. Carolyn Jones of the San Francisco Chronicle was the MC for the evening’s program, and after thanking thanked everyone for attending and their continued support, WID Executive Director Kathy Martinez presented highlights of WID’s current programs as well as significant accomplishments, and made a passionate call to action in this new century and with a new administration about to take power (a full transcript of Kathy Martinez’s speech is included at the end of this article).
The evening continued with awards for outstanding contributions to the disability community followed by a video retrospective highlighting 25 years of WID’s accomplishments. Deborah Kaplan, WID’s Executive Director from 1997-2004, received a Pioneer Award for her contributions to make technology accessible to people with disabilities, and Liane Yasumoto, Executive Director of Disability!Culture!Talent! (CDT), received a Pioneer Award for her work promoting artists with disabilities. Ever Widening Circle, now in its 10th year, is the brainchild of both Kaplan and Yasumoto.
Joan Leon and Judy Heumann were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards for founding WID in 1983 with the late Ed Roberts as well as their tireless efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities everywhere. The Policy and Advocacy Award was given to Rachelle Chong of the California Public Utilities Commission for her advocacy to make technology accessible to persons with disabilities.
After attendees indulged in a selection of delectable desserts, the Grammy-winning Blind Boys of Alabama delivered an uplifting performance of their unique interpretations of traditional gospel, enhanced by secular songs with a spiritual message. To the delight of the audience, the repertoire included their soulful version of “Amazing Grace,” sung to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun.”
WID extends a very special thanks to our 2008 Presenting Sponsors: Verizon, AT&T and Wells Fargo. We are also grateful to our Supporting Sponsor, Chevron, and our Sustaining Sponsor, PG&E. This event could not have happened without their generous contributions.
WID would also like to thank everyone that helped make this event possible, including ASL Interpreters Sherry Hicks and Joe Quinn, Audio Vision for providing audio description, members of the community who volunteered at the event, MC Carolyn Jones, and our media sponsor, the San Francisco Chronicle.
For 10 years, Ever Widening Circle has battled negative stereotypes of disabled people and serves as a model for presenting entertainment that is accessible for all audiences. Recent performances have included comedian Josh Blue, then 13-year old composer and pianist Matt Savage, and internationally renowned AXIS Dance Company, comprised of dancers with and without disabilities.
***
Thank you, Carolyn, and thank you to every one of you for being a part of this milestone event. The last 25 years of WID have proven that change is possible, and you are all a part of that legacy. The struggle for the rights of people with disabilities began in the hearts and was refined in the minds of many of the people we just saw and heard in the video. Now, it is a phenomenon that has spread from Bangkok to Baghdad and Austria to Zimbabwe. WID is proud to be a part of the international groundswell resulting in the first human rights treaty adopted by the UN in the 21st century. The Convention on the rights and dignity of people with disabilities is in force at the UN, and over 100 countries so far have committed to developing practical, outcome based plans to increase participation in society of disabled people in the areas of education, political participation and economic integration.
To keep the "world" in the World Institute on Disability, WID staff continue to learn from our sisters and brothers in developing countries-- working with local NGOs across conflict zones in the Caucasus about how war impacts people with disabilities and how disability can be a bridge to resolving conflict; how our compañeros in Brazil have very successful employment programs through their Independent Living centers and how those centers are no longer dependent on governmental support.
Our work in Mexico and Central and South America taught us how to create and build Proyecto Visión, the first U.S. technical assistance center for Latinos with disabilities, and how to really connect with people from other countries who don't understand the concept of a social safety net; who are more likely to be injured on their jobs; who will not be referred to an Independent Living center but rather go back to an inaccessible house in the barrio never knowing about personal assistant services, accessible technology or the idea of disability pride. With your help, WID will link people of color with disabilities to information, services and access to opportunities, all of which are building blocks to choice. WID, alongside all of you, has fought and advocated for access to the environment, transportation, information and education. We're not there, but that train has left the station, and it will stop in every village all over the world.
Although we've all been talking about employment, economic integration, not much has changed in that regard for people with disabilities since the passage of the ADA. Why do we still have an unemployment rate of 70%? Some would say, "It's easier to stay on benefits," and employers are afraid of lawsuits, and attitudes of nondisabled people are based on fear, stereotypes and misconceptions. All of these are true, but equally as true is that we are trying to fit a 21st century peg into a 20th century hole.
We plan to change this, shoulder to shoulder with you. We can no longer have a disability benefits system that keeps us trapped in poverty by not allowing us to save, so we can eventually cut loose. We can no longer have a disability benefits system that legislates "disability is synonymous with being unable to work." We can no longer abide a healthcare system that views us as sick and in need of fixing. To quote my esteemed colleagues, Bryon MacDonald and Tom Foley, we must break the mold and use our benefits and our healthcare system as employment supports, not employment disincentives.
Because I was on SSI for so many years, I can tell you I never learned about budgets, how to save or even valued saving, because I could only have $2000 in the bank, and if I went over that limit, my benefits were reduced. What are we thinking? Out of one side of our mouths we talk about full integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of society; on the other hand we're dragged down by an archaic system. We can't afford this, as individuals or as a nation.
Of course, many of us don't have the skills to work at all. Some of us have the capacity to only work part time, and some of us can hold down full-time jobs. To increase our overall employment, we need all these options on the table. Plus, we have learned from our Disability Benefits 101 and Access to Assets projects how critical it is to get timely information about the myriad of services and their linkages that can add up a person getting a job or staying in a job. Technology is the connective tissue in this equation. Accessible technology cannot be half-decades behind-- it cannot be an afterthought or an add-on.
Putting disability within the diversity agenda of corporations and major employers, such as government, can help put this effort into fast-forward. This is where we people with disabilities must be ready to learn how to participate and join the work of these committees and boards, so inclusion moves beyond a concept and becomes a practice. We have to get past Disability Awareness Month!
WID cannot do this alone and is pooling its forces with the other disability-led organizations to form the Ed Robert Campus, which we anticipate will be a model of collaboration and prove that the whole can be more than a sum of its parts. To make this a reality, we need to engage the next generations-- are they here tonight?
Over the last week, we have heard about and, more importantly, witnessed leadership. One of the best quotes I heard about why the Obama campaign was successful is that instead of being guided by the lights of passing ships, it steered by the stars. Let's follow this example.
Kathy Martinez, November 7, 2008