Chapter Transcript
Chapter 8: The Future for Lizzie's Son and the System
12:00:42:27 - 12:02:24:03
Lisa: Given all the work that you had done over the years, and others, you and others, what do you feel the future holds now for your son, and other children with disabilities?
Lizzie: Well, I'm looking at Harrisburg right now. I'm also looking at the cutbacks. Everybody right now service, we -- no one knows what the future holds for any of these service, really. You know, we do all the advocating, but 'body comes in and don't know the service, and just cut, cut, cut. You want to know what the future holds now, so that's why we're going to meetings and try to stay on top of it, and try to hold the service we got. I do have a problem with them not putting anyone on -- no money there for that waiting list. I have a problem with that, because another problem that I'm dealing - that I've --children coming out of school. Where do they go, and what services going to be out there for them? So no one knows. I think everybody's future's up in the air right now. I don't care how good of a service you got, or how long you've been getting the service. But they say, nothing lasts forever, and you trying to find out like what you do now, what to do next, and we still advocating. That's why I'm back out there, you know. So that's what -- that's how I feel.
12:02:24:03 - 12:04:59:14
Lisa: Ms. Richardson, where does your son Darryl live now?
Lizzie: He live at home. He live at home. But if he richer, he would go to -- hopefully they don't cut everything off. It used to be respite care. You know, that's where I want him to be placed at, because the staff knows him, because he been going since he was 11, and he is on their waiting list and he - and I go every December. I go to meet with them and update his service, update his residential service. He goes to respite care there, too, you know, and when I go on vacation, he goes there. He have a vacation, I have a vacation, and that's how we do it. And then we glad to see one another when we come. He did what he wanted to do. I did what I wanted to do, and we happy to see each other. Like the party Friday night. He did not want me to go to the party. I do not go. I do not go.
Lisa: What are some of the best times that you and Darryl share together, Ms. Richardson?
Lizzie: We go out to eat. Darryl come home, sometimes we go out to the country. We love the County Buffet, and I don't have a granddaughter, but he gave me one, and she thinks I'm her grandmother. So tomorrow I be down at the school picking her up, and she's coming to outreach. But she wanna do child care, and she only 11. She can't do volunteer work, she's too young. Her sister is graduating this year, so she's doing it. So she's going to come and tell me the other day, oh Shaieda can't work Saturday.
She want to replace Shaieda, but she's too young. She's good at it, but she's too young. I said, no way, we can't use her. You know, she's too young.
Lisa: You said Darryl gave her to you?
Lizzie: I mean, no, we didn't -- I remember her and her mother when she was being baby-like, and the way her mother treated her, and now. And the other lady got custody of her, and she sent her to school. She's nice to her. Okay, she's doing the basic things for her, like send her to school, feeding and clothing her. Now -- but the cosmetic things, I do, like the cell phone that children have now, okay. Class trip, I do the class trip. And we're working together with this and that bring her life completely, that she's not out of things. You know, I buy her things and different things, and take her out to eat, too, because Darryl will go to - now I pick her up Friday. Darryl going to the dance, and I'm taking her to Burger King. So that's how we do it.
More Interview Chapters
- Childhood and Family
- Supporting Darryl (Son)
- Sibling Relationship
- Connecting with Other Parents
- Advocacy
- Solving Systemic Problems and Building Relationships
- Mentoring the Next Generation of Parents
- YOU ARE HERE: The Future for Lizzie's Son and the System
- Reflections on Life and Career
About Lizzie Richardson
Born: 1937, Smithfield, North Carolina
Parent, Advocate, Board Member North Central Services
Keywords
Mentoring, Parents, Services, Waiting List
The Disability and Change Symposium is available as a free online learning module.
Combating Implicit Bias: Employment
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."
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We extend our appreciation to Disability Resources and Services for providing Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) and American Sign Language services for the day.
The Institute on Disabilities, Temple University College of Education is pleased to recognize some of our 2020 Symposium Partners/Sponsors from Temple University:
- Center for Bioethics, Urban Health, and Policy (CBHUP), Lewis Katz School of Medicine
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- Dean of Libraries
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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)
- Jair Guardia, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management. (est. 08/2021)
- Hallie Ingrim, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management
- 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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