Community Organizing and Advocacy for the Rights and Equality

 

The practice of community development is one area of social work that I thought about when considering a position to work with people who need services to lead productive lives.  Organizations are defined as formal networks that bring contributions to social movement. Each group has its own ideological approach in addressing ongoing issues that society plays. I spent the last couple of months studying the concept of community organizing that helped me understand the strategies in exchange for making a positive difference in the world. I chose the book “Stir It Up” because it provides a lot of evidence that supports the reasons why I want to serve in a social service agency. I’m cautiously optimistic about having the opportunity to hold a career in promoting justice and equality for all. My dream job would involve educating the public about making life better for people with disabilities and ensuring equal access to resources.

 

I watched the film documentary called Crip Camp about a group of activists with disabilities who fought for their civil rights and regulations to eliminate prejudice and discrimination. The point where disabled activists and protesters gathered on the streets of New York City are shown to overcome the obstacles in navigating around the community. The massive traffic and lack of access to subway stations made it even difficult for the group to get anywhere in the city. The 1970’s had an enormous impact on America and political involvement in the situation grew. They held peace signs with a handicap symbol on it to indicate being disabled doesn’t mean they should be forgotten. The federal legislation passed during the ‘70’s gave them the right to become educated and treated equally while allowing transportation and public places to be made accessible. Under Section 504, organizations were covered with the funding for adequate services related to transportation, independent living, and employment. If I were an activist, I strongly believe society must be aware that these people want to be protected against discrimination at all times. The film is a good example of how I will successfully advocate for more than just what happened in there. I hope to work in a wide range of settings to provide the support they need, such as the Center for Independent Living and the American Association for People with Disabilities. I have heard a lot about the National Federation for the Blind that offers classes and workforce training to help blind students learn the skills to become self-sufficient and that sounds like another great setting to make an impact.

 

As a community organizer, the first thing I want to work towards in running my business is to recruit and train certified members to be part of an advocacy organization. When I can find people to work for me, I hope to hire disability rights attorneys and specialists who have experience in law and other fields of practice with disabled communities. I will consider integrating leadership roles into my constituency and developing relationships with employees to help strengthen the network. I also hope to serve as a resource adviser for the Direct Action for the Rights and Equality program, make time to see my clients, and do policy work abroad. I may hold educational sessions and annual meetings to discuss the history of discrimination drawn by political actions that affect the availability of services and funding by the government. I see myself creating campaigns about making buildings and entertainment facilities accessible, allowing school districts to provide special education programs, and implementing budget plans for necessary services like adaptive technology and attendant care for those living alone. Another way to do this would include consulting with architectural workers to ensure they don’t discriminate against the handicapped while constructing new apartments and college campuses. There are places where individuals with disabilities still struggle for equal access to public education and participate in community-based activities which would need to be addressed as quickly as possible. I’m a strategic planner and it provides me with opportunities to learn what’s happening in the world before knowing what issues to take into account.   

 

My team should build partnerships with other agencies as a form of collaboration that matches my goals. It means the two or more organizations come together to make the cause. I want to be able to develop a framework to evaluate research capacity in order to apply knowledge of social issues I’m studying. As long as I follow the guidelines to meet ethical standards, my research methods would include interviewing service providers and parents of their children with disabilities to determine how many of them have been denied the right to be educated in mainstream institutions. I like the idea of doing case studies on groups of people in different locations who overcome their disability; I can use these techniques to identify the negative aspects of prejudice and discrimination and gather data on how these factors influence public opinion. Therefore, I’m comfortable with exploring solutions that people will benefit from.   The effort to operate an organization as a service provision is a challenging task. To be clear, the first step to begin the network is defining the purpose...a program with the strength to fight for the rights of handicapped individuals is my preferred purpose. Using strategic planning through collaboration with my colleagues can help them respond to situations that appear to produce barriers among minorities. I’d be eager to accept employees who understand racial justice for African Americans with disabilities.

I don’t know yet how and where I will work. But right now, I have an interest in policy social work since I’m a strong advocate for equality. No one has told me I shouldn’t do anything I want to do. Because being disabled doesn’t mean “sick” I am a big fan of Crip Camp and it made me proud of how successfully the characters achieved justice. This story represents hope and optimism that someday many people like me will get a good job, have a safe place to live, and become more and more socially active.

The movie Crip Camp is currently streaming on Netflix.