Ollibean Think Tank

Wanting More and Finding Disability Justice

White House Champion of Change recipient Mia Mingus is writer, organizer, and member of the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collaborative.

Disability

Amy Sequenzia: Respect How I Choose to Speak

I type my words because I am non-speaking. One of my disabilities, or one characteristic of my disability, is that my body does not move like my brain wants.

That of course, includes my arm. And

Henry’s video for his friend Sebastien, please help by sharing

Thursday Henry decided he wanted to write something to help his friend. We decided to video the process, as you can see, typing

Ollibean: All of a kind

The faces of Ollibean are kids with and without disabilities all trying to make the world a better place.

Change Leader: Larry Bissonette

Our first Change Leader is artist and disability rights advocate, Larry Bissonnette. Larry's art, writing, presentations, and films are changing perceptions about disability around the world. His quote in Wretches & Jabberers, "More like you than not" says it all.

Judith Snow ~ Relationships & Inclusion

"The research shows that when a child who is not academically gifted is included in a regular school, not only do the academics improve across the school, and I did say that, I didn’t say “in the classroom”, I said “across the school”, not only do the academics improve, but drug use and violence goes down."

The Case for Inclusion Part 3: Sea Change

The longer there is a strong distinction between general and special education the worse it is for students who are labeled with a disability. It perpetuates the language of Us and Them...

A Sister Stands with Her Brother: I Am Heard, I Am Important, and I Am Included

No one wants to be the excluded one, the one to stand alone in silence, the one left out of the conversation. No one wants to be forgotten. So why are some individuals treated this way? Luckily it just takes one person to stand up and include, and the rest will follow. Be that person, take a stand, make a difference.

Being Where I Can Simply Be

After a three-day conference, I needed to sleep. I needed to sleep because I was dreamy, trying to keep the feeling of being in a place where I can be myself and also be a little bit like a star. Also, building community.

Sesame Street, This is an Autistic Speaking

Sesame Street knew nobody was missing, or lacking, anything. I was perfect! Everyone is perfect! But in real life, as I grew older, doctors and teachers convinced everyone that I was too broken to be worthy of any effort toward education and a future. Nobody saw me the way I was seen by my friends at Sesame Street.

Senator Harkin Delivers Speech in ASL Upon ADA Passage in 1990

Upon passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 13th, 1990, Senator Tom Harkin delivered a speech on the Senate floor in American Sign Language. Harkin, whose brother Frank was deaf, was the lead Senate author of the ADA, which was enacted later that year. His speech is the first in American Sign Language to be delivered from the Senate floor.