Dan Harris FRSA’s Post

Fresh off of Trans Day of Visibility (which I spent largely boosting other trans voices and staying behind the scenes personally) and straight into Autism Awareness Month. To be totally honest with you, I'm not sure how much good Visibility or Awareness is doing for my communities. Visibility without protection, and Awareness without understanding or support, doesn't go very far. Anti-trans legislation in the United States is steamrolling right ahead. Workplace discrimination against Autistic people continues unabated. Do our allies see us? Are they aware of us? How much of a difference does it make if the answer is yes, but the problems persist? This month, I challenge you to take tangible actions against trans discrimination. Start donating to mutual aid programs. Give money to legal protection organizations. Find some direct action and participate. Likewise with Autistic organizations -- find a way to help out in a direct and tangible way. Don't promote Autism Speaks. Don't use puzzle piece imagery, implying that we're not whole or missing a piece. Don't "light it up blue." Read a book, join a discussion, promote Autistic thought leaders' voices, and share our stories. Find more resources from ASAN (Autistic Self-Advocacy Network). Direct action. Remember: nothing about us without us. Love, your local (exhausted) trans and Autistic job seeker Resources: https://lnkd.in/gDKD9v64

It was such an honor to share space with Jacq T., Sanor Drame, and Kellie Bryson on this training on Accountability and Advocacy Best Practices for Service Providers Working with Youth at Point Source Youth's Southern Conference on Youth Homelessness. "In order for us to provide services that young people actually feel safe and affirmed in using, we need to consistently hold space for young people to share their experiences, and support them in having a voice to meaningfully shape policies, practices, and procedures. Oftentimes, due to power imbalances, young people face monumental risks in sharing their discomfort with service provision and calling in service providers. This looming threat of losing access to benefits in care works to perpetuate harm against young people. This session uplifts young people to share their past experiences with providers, and examines the discrimination biases often leveraged against 2SLGBTQIA youth, youth with disabilities, and BIPOC young people. Our panel of youth speakers share language best practices for providers to utilize to encourage honesty and transparency with clients and best practices for sustainable and meaningful youth collaboration." Check out the recording to learn how we can work together to build community systems of accountability and create the liberatory change we need alongside those most impacted.

🌍 Last week was #Neurodiversity #Celebration #Week, a time to recognise and empower the importance of diverse minds. As part of this important initiative, #IMPACTsci had the privilege of participating in the #ACTIVATE kick-off meeting. ACTIVATE stands for #AutisticCommunity through #Advocacy, #Learning, and #Empowerment and it is all about making a difference in the lives of #AutisticYouth and the community as a whole. Through the Autistic #Advocacy #School, awareness campaigns and more, our objectives are clear: 🔹 Empower Autistic Youth in Self-Advocacy and Improve Access to Opportunities 🔹 Supporting Youth Workers in elevating support for the Autistic Community 🔹 Amplify stakeholder acceptance and engagement 🔹 Foster Autism Understanding and celebration within the wider community 🤝 Our consortium brings together some of the best, most experienced and active community actors in Europe. Alistair de Gaetano, Jacob Callus, Michelle Tabone, Annalise Xerri, Grech Roxanne, Bugeja Jeffrey and Ellul Gregory Michael are leading the project on behalf of the Directorate for Disability Issues of the Government of Malta. Partnering with Jessica Borg (Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) Malta), Andreia Morgado and Tiago Rodrigues (IMPACTsci), Sara Rocha (Associação Portuguesa Voz do Autista), Gert-Jan Vanaken and Ilse Noens (KU Leuven), and European-level representatives Heta Pukki, Viera Hincová and Angelina S. (European Council of Autistic People) among others, with co-funding by the European Commission via #Erasmus programme. Over the next few months, we will be sharing updates and opportunities to get involved with ACTIVATE. Follow along and help us make this ambitious vision a reality 🔊      #inclusionanddiversity #Empowerment #Inclusion #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #Autismcelebration #neurodivergency #CommunityEngagement #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek #ThisisND #NCW

TEAR DOWN THE BARRIERS - END THE VIOLENCE AND SMASH ABLEISM!!!!! In this article, I attempt to demonstrate that from our colonialist history to modern-day supremacism, the greed-driven corporate thought disease of capitalist elites, legislators and jurists has festered into something far more dangerous. A pervasive mindset that dehumanizes all trauma survivors and disabled people into broken and useless objects that can be more easily dismissed, destroyed and forgotten. I sincerely hope that after reading this, those with a louder voice will recognize ableism and include disabled people in their fight for meaningful universal human and civil rights. Our lives are in danger, and we need you. #accessibilityforall #accessibilitymatters #accesibledesign #disabilityawareness #disabilityadvocacy #disabilityinclusion #disabilityrights #endableism #inclusionmatters

I've directly helped around 1800 people this year. Amazing staff who dedicate their lives to helping adults and children in vulnerable circumstances. One pattern I've noticed is this: They come to a workshop because they are stressed. But feeling calmer isn't always the main thing they say they take away. It's sharing and feeling connected to other people who face the same challenges day in and day out. The relentless phone calls and emails. The distressed and sometimes angry customers on the phone. The calls for ambulances, police and child protection. And these are caring people so they are often looking out for many others in their family and friendship circles. They are done in. Many of them risk their bodies failing soon: you simply cannot keep going like this. When they meet teams in other organisations who "get it"... .... Or share with their own colleagues in ways they might never have done before... They're able to be more real, more human than anywhere else. And because of that: They feel less alone. It's this. This is the main thing I offer you. Yes I can teach you skills. Yes I can give you a bigger perspective. But above all I offer you a community. We cannot do this alone. The weight resting on our shoulders is too much. The suffering we see everyday is too harrowing. Without each other we will lose hope in humanity itself. Are you ready to be welcomed and supported by an incredible community of people who shares the same values and challenges as you? If so, you can join my new programme Super Humans for free until January. DM me for the details. #energypoverty #fuelpoverty #carersupport #youngcarers #countylines #humanitarianaid #humanrightsdefenders #familylaw #disabilityservices #costoflivingcrisis #homelessness #refugeesupport #asylumseekers #techforgood #childprotection

My friend and neighbor Cardie left this book on my porch. It is so illuminating. A combination of individual profiles, research, data, statistics, and a history of how public policy at every level has impacted the explosion of people experiencing homelessness in communities across this country. The book was published last month, in November 2023. The reality of confirmation bias is that we tend to read and watch things that support our beliefs. We are becoming increasingly tribal, which is so disappointing, and ultimately it doesn't help solve challenges like this one in our communities. I highly recommend this book. We need first to understand the many factors that have created this situation before we can contemplate effective solutions. #homelessness #affordablehousing #publicpolicy

Family violence is more than a private matter; it's a driver of gender inequality affecting employment, participation, and financial security. Shockingly, it remains the leading cause of homelessness for women and children, impacting health and inclusion, especially for those with disabilities. Home should be a safe haven, not a place of fear. Yet, 51.5% of women and 37% of young people seeking homelessness services have experienced domestic violence. This demands our urgent attention. Sadly, family and domestic violence hits some communities harder than others. It disproportionately affects Aboriginal and culturally diverse women and children, people with disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTQI . The WA Gov reminds us that help is available 24/7. If you or someone you know needs support, reach out to: https://bit.ly/3Nhu1K3. Remember, you are not alone, and there is help. Let's put a stop to domestic violence. 💜

Webinar: Using data to champion for disadvantaged communities There is a deficit in information that communities work from as they approach social issues like homelessness, disability rights, and care for older adults. This webinar will help you learn how to reshape public misperceptions about important social problems. You will see examples of how to share compelling stories based on data that will reshape misinformed narratives. This session will help you: Understand different story formats and the unique purpose each one serves Master the 3“ Ws ”of storytelling Bolster your data with the right words to impact your audience Speaker: Libby Einterz, Statistician and Outcomes Manager at The Salvation Army The aim of this webinar is to build narratives using the data in your information system and to learn how to infuse greater significance into hardships that your community faces. This webinar will take place on Thursday, July 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET. 

For too many #widows circumstances remain precarious, and her situation is emblematic of the broader challenges faced by #widows navigating various systems. These obstacles span financial, medical, health, tax, bankruptcy, religious, and social services, underscoring the multitude of ways in which women can be disadvantaged during life-altering events. The reality of severe #socialexclusion and #health #inequity is staggering and needs to be a major #DEI documented category. This complexity often impedes their path to stability, revealing deep-seated issues within these systems that disproportionately affect them during times of #polycrisis. 700,000 severely impoverished U.S. #widows and 50% of the 13M widows live in #poverty or #nearpoverty. It’s a slippery slope that too many of these head of household women understand. Is it true #economicempowerment is for all women if widows remain neglected and invisible? These women merit access to solutions, support, and research that validate and elevate those who have been overlooked the most. The Global Widows Report of 2016, despite being based on older data, unveils shocking and devastating realities, with minimal progress noted over eight years. The neglect of #widows is intricately linked to the #trafficking of daughters, #domesticviolence, and entrenched, generational #poverty. It's crucial for women to recognize and confront this issue. Similarly, it's imperative for husbands to become aware of the potential calamities their families might face and the importance of supporting preventative measures and programs. * Graphic provided by Global Fund for Widows #widowhood #women #invisiblewomen #sdg #mostvulnerable #families #unaddressed #issues #widowadvocate #neglect #omission #crisis #polycrisis #marriage #lifeevent #discrimination #socialimpact #dei

🌟 #NowMoreThanEver 🌟, during #NationalReconciliationWeek, staff at the Office of The Public Advocate (OPA) are reflecting on the experiences of Aboriginal people with disability who engage with our programs and services. OPA recognises that for Aboriginal people, engaging with services can be difficult and cannot be separated from the impacts and barriers arising from colonisation, dispossession, the #StolenGeneration, intergenerational trauma, and racism. Many of the Aboriginal people we work with face barriers in accessing culturally appropriate housing and services. They also carry the heavy burden of trauma, poor mental health and wellbeing, and past engagement with #ChildProtection and the criminal #justice system. OPA is currently undertaking a review of the experiences of Aboriginal people with disability who engage with our programs, and identifying the next steps for improving OPA’s services. We will release a report of our findings later this year. In the meantime, please check out Walk with Me, Talk with Me: Practice guide for staff providing services to Aboriginal people in Victoria. https://lnkd.in/gkHWBjwD Artwork, ‘Origins’ by Wally of the Mutti Mutti people, used with permission for OPA's practice guide.