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Disability Awareness 

philadelphia, pennsylvania 
Name: Mitzi Samano
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • Two close friends did Impact and told me about their amazing experiences, so the next time applications opened, I signed up. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. My best friend and I were going on separate trips, which ended up being a blessing because being there with all new people I think is a crucial part of the trip. My first two years at UGA were not focused on volunteering, and I wanted to make my last two years filled with as much volunteering as possible.  Finding out the relationship between service and being educated about a topic seemed perfect and I’m glad I took the leap because now when I think about volunteering I don’t just imagine the physical labor part, but everything that goes on behind the curtains - policy, society’s attitude towards a topic, which have opened up my eyes about how change really happens.
Why am I interested in my trip focus? 
  • This trip focus is particularly interesting because I know it can be easy to overlook other people’s challenges when they are never a part of your life, which is why I want to learn more about disabilities. This group of the population is just one example about how we can work together as a society to make life better for everyone. Those who ignore certain groups of people or areas of life will not become as well rounded of citizens as they could have. For example, I believe that educating students is the most important and effective way of changing the course of the future; they are our future. Separating the students with disabilities from those without, for example, will only enforce the idea that everyone can’t get along. This trip focus will hopefully expose me to ideas I wasn’t faced with before so I can continue to build on my educational foundation, and hopefully pass this information along to my professional and social life.
Favorite IMPACT memory?
  •  One night for dinner we cooked breakfast foods, and we got to know each other a lot. We each had different responsibilities but worked together. The food was delicious and we made great memories!
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Contact info
she/her/hers
770-895-9003
mas26707@uga.edu

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Contact Info:
 
Ankita Shah
she/her/hers

(706) 550-8220


Name: Ankita Shah
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • ​Joining student organizations is such an important part of your college experience because it introduces you to pockets of individuals across campus. I wanted to join organizations that I was passionate about and could see myself being involved for the entirety of my 4 years. I wanted to continue to participate in service throughout my 4 years, so I went on two IMPACT trips previously before this one: Environmental Justice in Ft. Myers and Shelter and Resource Access in Savannah. IMPACT encourages me to extend my servant leadership to other parts of the United States where I am able to spend valuable time with communities who may be vulnerable, disadvantaged, or disproportionately affected by crises. With the intentions of becoming a future physician, my main goal is to work with underserved populations and give them a chance to receive the quality care they deserve. Not only am I able to give back to communities, but in return, IMPACT continually humbles me and shows me the value that human life has.  
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
  • When people think about disability, they usually categorize based on physical or visual cues such as someone who is in a wheelchair. However, disability encompasses not only physical disadvantages but mental illness as well, which is a reason why I am so passionate about this trip focus. Having conversations about mental illness is discomforting for many people, not just because of the intimacy of the topic, but also due to the high level of stigma within modern society.
    On another hand, disability can also be discomforting for other people as well, especially those who do not have one. This is understandable because it can be difficult to see someone suffering with an issue that you have never recognized as your privilege before. I’m interested in encouraging my peers to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. I admit that I am also quite unaware about this topic, and this is going to be a great learning experience for me especially because my career goal is centered upon providing patient-driven, accessible care to populations. 

Favorite IMPACT memory?
  • ​One of my favorite memories from an IMPACT trip was when I forgot to bring shower shoes one day to the showering site. If you get placed on my trip, you’ll learn that I can be VERY forgetful sometimes. Anyway, I didn’t want to tell anyone because this had been our 4th or 5th day. Instead, I showered in my socks. While this experience was not enjoyable for me, it was something that made everyone laugh during highs, lows, and kudos. ​

ABOUT OUR TOPIC: 

TERMS TO KNOW:
Ableism- ​discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior
Accessibility- ​the quality or characteristic of something that makes it possible to approach, enter, or use
Advocacy- ​any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others including public education, regulatory work, litigation, and work before administrative bodies, lobbying, voter registration, and voter education
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)- c​ivil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
Disability- ​physical or mental ​impairment​ that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an ​impairment​, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an ​impairment
Disabled Persons Organization (DPO)- ​represents organizations or groups of persons with disabilities (PWDs), where PWDs constitute a majority of the overall staff, board and volunteers, and are well-represented in all levels of the organization; primary focus of these organizations is empowerment and the growth of self-advocacy of persons with disabilities
Identity First language- Identity or condition is placed before the noun as a way to categorize someone; for example, a “disabled person” ; proponents of this term feel these identifiers help people claim their disabilities with pride. Identity first terms may do so because they feel they’re celebrating or owning their disability instead of distancing themselves from their disability by adding on the phrase “with a disability.”
Inclusivity- ​practices and policies designed to identify and remove barriers such as physical, communication, and attitudinal, that hamper individuals' ability to have full participation in society
Intellectual disability-condition where a person has certain limitations in intellectual functions; these limitations in children can cause a child to intellectually develop at a different timeframe than others
Intersectionality- ​the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantag
Mental illness- health​ conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these) often associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities
People First language- ​emphasizes the individuality, equality and dignity of people with disabilities; rather than defining people primarily by their condition; conveys respect by emphasizing the fact that people first and foremost just that—people.
Transportation- wheelchair access, stairs, elevators

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: 

ARTICLES:​
An intersectional approach to understandings of mental health inequalities among men with disability | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6700447/
 Intersectionality of Poverty, Disability, and Gender as a Framework to Understand Violence Against Women With Disabilities: A Case Study of South Africa | https://commons.clarku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi article=1075&context=idce_masters_papers
Intersectionality, Work, and Well-Being: The Effects of Gender and Disabilityhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891243218800636
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VIDEOS:
Changing the Way We Talk About Disability | Amy Oulton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WIP1VgPnco 
Living with an Invisible Disability | Sarah Skinner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh7ki3IbnRI 
Our fight for disability rights -and why we’re not done yet | Judith Heumann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJr4wGcLNsA 
Redefining Success as a Disabled Person | Pippa Stacey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j7JRS99Tbw

INTERSECTIONALITY 

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  • About
    • Why IMPACT?
    • Sample Day
    • FAQs
  • Trips and Roundtables
    • 2019-2020 Trips
    • 2018-2019 Trips
  • Apply
  • Community Partners
    • Serving Athens
  • Contact