ECNV’s I Am Self-Advocacy Program: March 2024
By Paul Whitney, Manager of Youth Programs
Program Overview
The IASA (I Am Self-Advocacy) Program is a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) focused on helping students with disabilities, ages 14-22, hone their skills in self-advocacy through a combination of individual and group sessions. Funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), this program is offered to students referred by the Fairfax, Alexandria, Leesburg, and Manassas DARS offices.
Students in the IASA program work with their peer mentor in weekly one-on-one sessions at a speed and level that is individualized and conducive to their learning. During the weekly group sessions, they take what they have learned and delve deeper into program topics, participating in group activities and debates with their peers. By the end of the program, the students will have put together their own self-advocacy portfolio to include things they learned regarding self-awareness, disability awareness, self-determination, disability rights and responsibilities, how to be assertive, and how to engage allies and be an ally to others.
The Importance of This Work
For this month’s newsletter, we thought we would take a step back and reflect on why lessons in self-advocacy can be so important within our youth community. To do this, we will defer to one of our peer mentors, Joseph Albert. Recently, Joe listened to a TED Talk presented by the late Judy Heumann. Moved by the themes of this talk, unprompted, he sent us his reflections, connecting it to the work we are currently doing within this program. Below is an excerpt from his reflections.
“Listening to Heumann's talk made me realize that the term ‘disability’ might not be as important as the term ‘accommodations’. Heumann and other activists were not fighting for recognition of disability. They were fighting for recognition of equality and access to accommodations.
In the case of school accommodations, the reason they exist is connected to Heumann's experience. Heumann, who was separated from the classroom due to a lack of an accessible school, had to receive education for a couple of years away from her peers. This follows a trend during that era where individuals with disabilities were not gaining access to the community and not given the same quality of education or care due to exclusion from treatment or public services within the community…
… The accommodations they (the students) have are not just there to put them on an equal level with everyone else or allow the teacher to truly see their skill and understanding of the material, but they are there to ensure that they are in the classroom with their peers. When their accommodations are withheld or denied, it further separates them from their classmates, academically, socially, and sometimes even physically…
… Each of the individuals I've observed, even without working with them, clearly has different experiences and perspectives on the world, themselves, and school. But what is universal is that as students in the 9th grade in the special education system, they need to be reminded that they are the same as their peers…
… I went to a ‘normal’ high school before going to HB Woodlawn, which had a more progressive special ed program…. I learned from a very early age about the ADA from [my parents]. Their message really was to focus on the facts.
Was extra time for the test given? Why was extra time not given? Did you ask? Is there a system to ensure that when this happens, it will be rectified immediately by the support team? The response to a failure to provide an accommodation could be set up in the I.E.P meeting, where roles and accountability were created. But at the end of the day, I was tasked with two things: making the request verbally and in writing and following up with my support staff and parents if it was not followed up on…
… I think it's excellent to start at such a young age on this topic. Many of those I've worked with who are coming to terms with their disabilities and work have all been scared or have not understood their rights under the ADA.”
Joe was referencing the students in our Minnie Howard IASA cohort. While these students are in a special education program, most of these students do not identify as an individual with a disability. We learned early on in our work at Minnie Howard that we would need to change our language, language that many disability justice organizations would consider exclusionary, to connect to the students. We would talk about ‘challenges in school’ and ‘accommodations’ to help overcome those challenges. Suddenly, the students began to listen. They cared. Our peer mentors reviewed their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) with the students, and for many of those in this cohort, this was the first time they saw their IEP. Reactions varied from excitement to highly emotional. Students, with the help from their mentors, began to write their teachers about accommodations they should be given, but have not received. It hit all of us in this program that we were making a difference in their education and in their lives. ECNV thanks Joe and the rest of our peer mentors for the incredible work they are doing, and in doing so, reminding us why it is we are doing this in the first place.
Current Cohorts:
Community and Schools Together (CAST):
Loudoun County
Participating Students: 5
Program Dates: January 22 – April 5
Program Format: Virtual Individual Sessions | In-Person Group Sessions
Project SEARCH:
Loudoun County
Participating Students: 8
Program Dates: January 22 – April 5
Program Format: Virtual Individual Sessions | In-Person Group Sessions
Winter 2024 Virtual:
Alexandria County, Fairfax County
Participating Students: 13
Program Dates: January 15 – March 22
Program Format: Virtual Individual Sessions | Virtual Group Sessions
Minnie Howard (Alexandria City High School):
Alexandria County
Participating Students: 7
Program Dates: October 17 – March 13
Program Format: In-Person Individual Sessions | In-Person Group Sessions
How to Sign-up
Students interested in participating in the IASA program should talk to their special education teacher or Employment and Transition Representative (ETR) at their school for assistance. Alternatively, reach out to your local DARS office to get started. All referrals must come from DARS.
ECNV’s IASA program continues to evolve with the needs of the community, students, and their families. Be on the lookout for more enhancements to come!
Mentor with IASA
If you are a person with a disability and/or received an IEP or 504 Plan in high school and interested in applying as a Peer Mentor Intern for the I Am Self-Advocacy Program, please contact Paul Whitney at paulw@ecnv.org.