Visionary Voices: Larry Kubey Ch 5

Chapter Transcript

Chapter 5: SAU1, Board Memberships

13:39:28:25 - 13:40:18:05

Q. You said that you were a board member for "Self-Advocates United as 1"?

A. Yes and still am.

Q. How did you become part of the board?

A. Somebody told me that a…that they thought I would make a great asset as a board member they had me shadow a bit, and a… let's see how everything's all done….and then I had…then shadowed over the phone…when they had board calls, and…I got in.

13:40:26:25 - 13:40:46:10

Q. Why did you want to be on the board?

A. To contin…to continue training…spreading the word…letting people with disabilities know there is somebody out there that cares.

13:40:54:10 - 13:41:33:15

Q. As a board member do you get to bring new issues to the table for "Self-Advocates United as 1" to work on?

A. Yes.

Q. So, what kind of issues do you…have you brought to the table or would you like to bring to the table?

A. Uhm, I think we've come a long way since a…we've been started, which was back in 1982 and…I'm grateful for the work that they do and I'm glad to be part of it.

13:41:35:05 - 13:42:12:25

Q. Is there an issue you'd like to see the group work on for the future?

A. Uhm, I would say that a…who knows what's gone to happen in the future? But a…if I took a guess as long as we keep getting grants to keep going…we'll do our best to reach as many people with disabilities statewide as we can.

13:42:17:25 - 13:43:55:15

Q. Larry, you were talking earlier about the very small wages that are paid to people who work in workshops, I believe you said sometimes people can work and receive only $2 or $3 a week or a couple of weeks for their efforts. What do you think about that and how can it be changed?

A. Maybe an increase like give them a regular salary, I mean, like a…no wonder half the people are leaving the [work]shops…if things aren't working out the way they want, the way the way they're told…when they're told one thing and then you entered a sheltered workshop to find out your not making what everybody tells them they're going to be making. That happened to me…and I'll do whatever I can to keep spreading the word to…try to put a change and a stop to the terrible tyranny.

13:44:14:1 - 13:45:00:05

Q. You've traveled to state centers and talked to residents there about living in the community; is that correct?

A. Yes.

Q. I wonder if you can tell me what it's like in those centers, when you visit, what is it like?

A. They're really learning a lot in the state centers about what we do…and they enjoy it, their eyes are opened up to new things…and every time we finish a training I get a lot of thank-yous.

13:45:04:00 - 13:45:26:25

Q. What do residents think about community life, is it something they want for themselves do you think?

A. It seems like it…and I hope they a… they get a chance to see what it would be like.

13:45:30:10 - 13:45:52:10

Q. How can they be helped in their efforts to have a home of their own or their desires to have a home of their own?

A. First talk with the supports coordinator that cares enough to help them through it.

13:46:06:25 - 13:46:56:20

Q. Several years ago you became a member of the "Provider Profiles Group" is that right?

A. Yes.

Q. Can you tell me what that was, or is?

A. Uhm…it's a…it was under the name of "Operation Book Report" with Celia Feinstein and some of the things we did was…was coming up with a…policies for the ODP trying to make things better for people with disabilities.

13:47:04:03 - 13:47:28:20

Q. Can you tell me what policies you were able to put in place due to your work?

A. Uhm, one which has been for a long time now is to escape from the word…the letters "MR" and just call them individuals with intellectual disabilities.

13:47:30:25 - 13:48:05:00

Q. What is that important?

A. 'Cause a…you live your life as individuals not the way you think.

Q. You're, I believe, Larry, a board member as well, of the Disability Rights Network"?

A. Yes.

13:48:50:10 - 13:49:28:10

Q. What is the "Disability Rights Network"?

A. Their abbreviation is DRN and they're a group that foresees current and past policies, they look at making things a bit better for people with disabilities, so they have a better life and hope for a better future.

13:49:29:25 - 13:50:06:00

Q. How did you become part of their board?

A. I became part of the board because I was told that they thought that I would make a good asset for them…because of all the things that I've done for people with disabilities through the Partnership and they thought it was time to elect me.

13:50:11:20 - 13:50:34:00

Q. Why is working for a disability rights organization as part of the board important to you?

A. I believe everything in life is of great importance to me, especially the rights of people with disabilities.

About Larry Kubey

Born: 1959
Actor, Self-Advocate
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Keywords

Board membership, Community, Disability Rights Network, Equality, The Partnership, 'R' word, SAU1, Self-advocacy, Speaking For Ourselves, Workshops

The Disability and Change Symposium is available as a free online learning module.

Combating Implicit Bias: Employment

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About this year's theme

Employment statistics for persons with disabilities continue to be disappointing, ~19% compared to ~66% of peers without disabilities. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). We ask ourselves, "is there something beyond overt discrimination and access that perhaps we need to address? Are there silent barriers such as those created by implicit bias?"

Most of us believe that we are fair and equitable, and evaluate others based on objective facts. However, all of us, even the most egalitarian, have implicit biases – triggered automatically, in about a tenth of a second, without our conscious awareness or intention, and cause us to have attitudes about and preferences for people based on characteristics such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and religion. These implicit biases often do not reflect or align with our conscious, declared beliefs. (American Bar Association, Commission on Disability Rights, "Implicit Bias Guide," 2019)

This year's theme challenges us to each ask ourselves "What implicit bias(es) do we have and encounter, and how do we recognize them and move beyond them to create opportunities, welcome, and full participation for all?"

As always, this Symposium privileges first-person voices and experiences.

About the Disability and Change Symposium

The stated goal of the annual Symposium is "to create conversation that transcends any one-dimensional depiction of people with disabilities, and foregrounds the multidimensional lives of our speakers - as writers, educators, performers, and advocates."

The Disability and Change Symposium is a one-day, interdisciplinary conference focusing on cultural equity and disability. The event is free, accessible and open to the public.

Acknowledgments

Organized by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, the Symposium is an outcome of collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Faculty Council on Disability whose mission is "to foster collaboration across Temple University on disability-related projects including research, teaching, programming, publication, and grant-seeking. By connecting with one another, Council members help build community among the growing number of people at Temple whose work engages with disability."

Core funding for the Disability and Change Symposium is through a grant from the Center for the Humanities at Temple University (CHAT)

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The Institute on Disabilities, Temple University College of Education is pleased to recognize some of our 2020 Symposium Partners/Sponsors from Temple University:

This year we also want to recognize the contributions of students (Associate Professor Deb Blair, STHM 2114 - Leisure & Tourism in a Diverse Society), who contributed to shaping and supporting this symposium:

  • Madeline Culbert, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management; Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management (est. 08/2021)
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  • Thomas Leonard, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management (est. 08/2021)
  • Bryan McCurdy, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management (est. 05/2022)

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