WEBVTT
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My name is Rachel Prophet.
00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:01.840
Leo.
00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:02.640
Sam Bush.
00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:03.600
Kat Schneider.
00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:04.639
Lindsay Shelton.
00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:05.360
Lodium.
00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:06.320
Diogo.
00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:07.120
Bobby Small.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:08.320
Jennifer Cowan.
00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:09.359
Matt Max.
00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:10.480
Sarah Leadis.
00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:11.839
I'm Esther Clang.
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:12.400
Toby.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:13.279
Melanie McDunn.
00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:13.919
Hallie.
00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.119
Avery Roberts.
00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:17.920
MS looks so different for so many people.
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.559
There's not just one way to be blind.
00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:23.760
There are so many ways to overcome obstacles.
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:32.240
You say you have ADHD or you have visually impaired, like all of those things mean a hundred different things to each person.
00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:36.640
You know, you and I are both blind, but both of us have different aptitudes and different limitations.
00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.359
I have a C5 spinal cord injury.
00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:43.679
The next person with a C5 spinal cord injury has a totally different one.
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:49.759
Having some language to wrap around what was going on with myself.
00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:55.439
Um it was very, very freeing.
00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:58.880
My differences weren't something that I needed to hide anymore.
00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.439
This is just who I am.
00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:03.280
Um, it's a part of me, it doesn't define me.
00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:04.799
I didn't want it to define me.
00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:10.159
I wanted to be open and transparent, but I also didn't want it to be like the leading story every time I walked into a room.
00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:11.439
Still Sarah.
00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:12.799
Still who I was.
00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:17.040
Just Sarah that happened to move a little bit slower.
00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:22.799
In terms of myself, I'm a person first than uh a person that happens to be blind.
00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:32.799
One of the most persistent and painful misconceptions is that a brain injury automatically means cognitive or intellectual impairment.
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:40.159
What I need people to understand is that my injury affected my motor function and my respiratory system.
00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:42.719
It did not affect my mind.
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.439
Don't assume the worst.
00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:46.799
Lead with curiosity.
00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.599
Curiosity, it sparks um opportunity.
00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:55.680
And I feel like assumptions, they just squash it.
00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:05.120
So it's really kind of opened my mind to not assuming I understand things just because of what I'm looking at.
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:14.719
And now if I see someone who appears to be completely able parking in a handicapped spot, I think nothing of it.
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:18.240
I think they have a reason for doing that.
00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.520
The world is created for able-bodied people.
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:26.080
The world needs to be created when you're building something or you're putting something together.
00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:28.479
It needs to be created for everyone.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:33.680
Not just one single type of individual.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:54.719
People hear the word accessibility and they uh and they they're immediately thinking um something huge and expensive when when so often it really is something that's that's not so big, something that's something that can be really quite small.
00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.759
Like, you know, back when I said about the first year, I was hoping I would die.
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.560
Um I don't think that way anymore.
00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.840
We have to find a new way to get the same thing done.
00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:08.479
Don't let other people tell you what you can and cannot do.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:09.680
Find that out yourself.
00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:11.759
Even if you think you can't do it, try it.
00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:13.520
See if see if you're right.
00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.319
I think asking for help is bravery.
00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.199
Because sometimes we're lots of it's okay to ask for guidance.
00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:22.080
Disability can be awfully isolated.
00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:23.680
There is community to be found.
00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.599
Once you find those people, it's yeah, it's everything.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:36.400
Knowing that we're we're not alone just makes such a huge difference when navigating life living with a disability.
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:48.879
What we all just really want is to be treated like equal human beings, that we're really complex individuals and we live very rich and fruitful and fulfilling lives.
00:03:49.439 --> 00:04:04.479
It's become okay, well, I need to just find the right people, and I need to love myself for who I am, disabilities and all, because they make me interesting and they uh help me look at the world in a different way.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.280
My name is Rachel Prophet.
00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:01.840
Leo.
00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:02.640
Sam Bush.
00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:03.600
Kat Schneider.
00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:04.639
Lindsay Shelton.
00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:05.360
Lodium.
00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:06.320
Diogo.
00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:07.120
Bobby Small.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:08.320
Jennifer Cowan.
00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:09.359
Matt Max.
00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:10.480
Sarah Leadis.
00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:11.839
I'm Esther Clang.
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:12.400
Toby.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:13.279
Melanie McDunn.
00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:13.919
Hallie.
00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.119
Avery Roberts.
00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:17.920
MS looks so different for so many people.
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.559
There's not just one way to be blind.
00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:23.760
There are so many ways to overcome obstacles.
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:32.240
You say you have ADHD or you have visually impaired, like all of those things mean a hundred different things to each person.
00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:36.640
You know, you and I are both blind, but both of us have different aptitudes and different limitations.
00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.359
I have a C5 spinal cord injury.
00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:43.679
The next person with a C5 spinal cord injury has a totally different one.
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:49.759
Having some language to wrap around what was going on with myself.
00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:55.439
Um it was very, very freeing.
00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:58.880
My differences weren't something that I needed to hide anymore.
00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.439
This is just who I am.
00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:03.280
Um, it's a part of me, it doesn't define me.
00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:04.799
I didn't want it to define me.
00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:10.159
I wanted to be open and transparent, but I also didn't want it to be like the leading story every time I walked into a room.
00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:11.439
Still Sarah.
00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:12.799
Still who I was.
00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:17.040
Just Sarah that happened to move a little bit slower.
00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:22.799
In terms of myself, I'm a person first than uh a person that happens to be blind.
00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:32.799
One of the most persistent and painful misconceptions is that a brain injury automatically means cognitive or intellectual impairment.
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:40.159
What I need people to understand is that my injury affected my motor function and my respiratory system.
00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:42.719
It did not affect my mind.
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.439
Don't assume the worst.
00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:46.799
Lead with curiosity.
00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.599
Curiosity, it sparks um opportunity.
00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:55.680
And I feel like assumptions, they just squash it.
00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:05.120
So it's really kind of opened my mind to not assuming I understand things just because of what I'm looking at.
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:14.719
And now if I see someone who appears to be completely able parking in a handicapped spot, I think nothing of it.
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:18.240
I think they have a reason for doing that.
00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.520
The world is created for able-bodied people.
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:26.080
The world needs to be created when you're building something or you're putting something together.
00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:28.479
It needs to be created for everyone.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:33.680
Not just one single type of individual.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:54.719
People hear the word accessibility and they uh and they they're immediately thinking um something huge and expensive when when so often it really is something that's that's not so big, something that's something that can be really quite small.
00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.759
Like, you know, back when I said about the first year, I was hoping I would die.
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.560
Um I don't think that way anymore.
00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.840
We have to find a new way to get the same thing done.
00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:08.479
Don't let other people tell you what you can and cannot do.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:09.680
Find that out yourself.
00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:11.759
Even if you think you can't do it, try it.
00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:13.520
See if see if you're right.
00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.319
I think asking for help is bravery.
00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.199
Because sometimes we're lots of it's okay to ask for guidance.
00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:22.080
Disability can be awfully isolated.
00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:23.680
There is community to be found.
00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.599
Once you find those people, it's yeah, it's everything.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:36.400
Knowing that we're we're not alone just makes such a huge difference when navigating life living with a disability.
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:48.879
What we all just really want is to be treated like equal human beings, that we're really complex individuals and we live very rich and fruitful and fulfilling lives.
00:03:49.439 --> 00:04:04.479
It's become okay, well, I need to just find the right people, and I need to love myself for who I am, disabilities and all, because they make me interesting and they uh help me look at the world in a different way.
