Hello.  My name is Damita Peace and I am excited to be joining the CDR/RCIL/AAY team with a focus on education.  Last year the Regional Center for Independent Living (RCIL) in conjunction with CDR piloted three modules (or courses) within a Leadership Academy Curriculum we established, and took the Youth Leadership Curriculum (“D3: Disability Rights, Disability Culture, Disability Pride”) into the Rochester City School system.  These programs were so successful that the need for a dedicated position to continue this great work was in order and I am thrilled it is me!

Some of you may know (or recognize) me as a Sign Language Interpreter, and that continues to be a field that I work in, but my background and most of my career experience has been in the field of college teaching.  I have taught at Rochester Institute of Technology, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and Roberts Wesleyan College to name a few.

The D3 Program we plan to fully implement in school districts (starting with the Rochester City School District) will allow students to embrace disability culture and have a better understanding of disability, the history and movement, and break down barriers and stigmas that exist within school settings that disability is scary or different. We are hoping to back in the schools this fall!

Additionally, the Leadership Academy will be back up and running soon! This program will allow individuals with disabilities who enroll and participate to:

• Gain more understanding of the history of the Disability Rights Movement
• Develop their own sense of Disability Pride or to continue their journey towards becoming a leader in the Disability Rights Movement
• Learn more about Ableism and how to address these biases within themselves and in the world around them
• Gain skills necessary in addressing the media, local government, systems and social inequalities around them
• BE EMPOWERED to take action and to make a difference on a national stage, or in our local community
• Understand that leadership comes in many forms and sizes and each one of us can play a vital role advocating for disability access and equality.

Once we get a schedule up and running for the Leadership Academy, I encourage everyone to join and participate in this program!  We will be seeking participants to take the classes, guest presenter to assist me throughout the program, and mentors to encourage and support participants who enroll in the program. Ultimately we are encouraging empowerment and self-advocacy for our people to continue the fight to be FREE.

For more information, please feel free to contact me at dpeace@rcil.org or (585) 442-6470. I can’t wait to get started!