New Mexico
Disability
Youth Leaders
Focus on Future Leaders!
Collaborative Project between Governor’s Commission on Disability
and UNM’s Center for Development and Disability
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We are nine, highly-motivated, youth with disabilities
from across New Mexico!
We call ourselves “New Mexico Disability Youth
Leaders” or NMDYL.
We are the future leaders of New Mexico!
We have fresh solutions and take life’s challenges
head on!
We decided that the purpose of our Program is to
educate the public through Disability Awareness.
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We work as a team to design and direct this
Disability Awareness Program with the support of
project staff.
We are a collaborative project between New
Mexico’s Governor’s Commission on Disability and
UNM’s Center for Development and Disability.
Our project started July 1, 2010 and is currently
funded through June 30, 2012.
We have four strategies for our Disability
Awareness Program.
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These strategies include:
1. Educational “Disability Awareness” curriculum for
classroom instruction 3rd – 5th grades,
2. Outreach presentations,
3. Media campaign, including social media, and
4. Public policy advocacy
We decided that our theme or tag line for these
strategies is: “What do you see when you look at
me?” and “You see people like you!”
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We adapted the “Dewey Do It” Curriculum
and included 3 additional children’s books
related to different disability types.
We added information about accessibility
and respectful behavior to the curriculum.
We developed a train-the-teacher process for
a 5 lesson curriculum for 3rd - 5th grades.
We are in the process of working with 4 pilot
sites across Albuquerque.
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We designed a 90-minute, interactive outreach
presentation focused on our theme “What do
you see when you look at me?”
Each of us have developed our own
presentation to increase awareness about our
disabilities.
These presentations include a hands-on game
or activity which helps the audience to
understand how each disability impacts daily
life.
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We are in the process of creating multiple media
strategies focused on educating the public
through disability awareness.
We developed our own Social Media Guidelines.
Some of these strategies include:
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A website: http://www.whatdousee.org/
Blog, Forum, Chat
Facebook page: New Mexico Youth Leaders
A Twitter account
Billboard series with QR Code for Smart Phones
30-second Public Service Announcements
A logo and business cards
Informational brochures and radio spots
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We are currently in the process of developing
the wording for a bill on “disability awareness
and history” based on Missouri’s version.
Several of us have completed or in the process
of completing training “Partners in
Policymaking” and other public policy
workshops.
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New Mexico
Disability
Youth Leaders
Focus on Future Leaders!
Collaborative Project between Governor’s Commission on Disability
and UNM’s Center for Development and Disability
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I am a husband, uncle and college
graduate. I am passionate about history,
sports and love learning new things.
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We are all different.
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Some small things that are the same:
◦ We can have a hard time understanding what
people say with their bodies
◦ We are more aware of our senses (touching,
tasting, sound, lights)
◦ It can be hard to know how to have fun with
other people, but we like to learn and are quick
learners.
You see: A Person with Autism
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Let’s play a game
◦ You are going to talk with each other for five
minutes, BUT YOU CAN’T USE ANY WORDS.
◦ You have to find some way to talk (and you can’t
write, speak, or sign the word).
◦ After 5 minutes, I want you to tell me what your
classmates said to you.
◦ Then I want you to tell me what you said to your
classmates.
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I like photography. I use American Sign
Language to communicate. I have a 2 year
old daughter who is learning sign language
like her mom.
I can’t hear at all. Hearing aids do not
benefit me. I had cochlear implants as a
child, this does help me hear background
noise but not speech.
I need to use sign language interpreters to
understand speech.
I use videophones to call people.
I use flashing lights to hear the door, the
phone ring, and hear my daughter cry.
You see: A person who is Deaf
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I went to the National Helen Keller Center (NHKC) for one year
and received mobility training, independent living, speech, and
learned how to use the computer.
I was chosen by the NHKC to be the Helen Keller Deaf –Blind
representative for their poster and magazine.
I have usher syndrome and this causes me to be Deaf and Blind.
I use spoken English to hearing people. I use Pidgen Sign
Language to Deaf People.
I use two hearing aids to hear speech, without it I cannot hear
it. I need to read lips to understand what I hear, if I do not see
your lips I cannot understand you.
I can use the regular phone if I need to, but most of the time I
use the videophone. There is a flashing light for my
videophone to let me know someone is calling me.
I use my cane to help me get around as I’m considered to have
a tunnel vision now.
I can read braille, and have learned it since I was five years old.
You see: A Person who is Deaf-Blind
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I will teach you American Sign Language and
Fingerspelling.
◦ ABC’s
◦ Introduction (Hello, How are you, What is your
name?)
◦ Family (mom, dad, brother, sister, baby)
◦ Animals (Dog, Cat, bird…….)
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I am a self-advocate and I like to teach others
what I have learned.
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I need to be taught something in a way that is
more simple and easier to understand.
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I might forget something that is taught to me.
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I want to have accommodations.
◦ I might need a notetaker to help take notes so I can
remember everything.
◦ I might need some extra time to do an assignment.
◦ I might want a tutor to help me understand the
assignment.
You see: A person with a learning disability
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Let’s play a game
We want to see what you remember
Two teams
Each person have card to hold
When first team, one person pick other team to see
if match card.
◦ Next person turn and try see if they can find their
card match from other team.
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I have a BA in Linguistics and have visited Paris,
France.
I can only see light.
I use Braille.
I use a guide dog, Rica now, but I used to use a
white cane. I carry my cane with me in case Rica is
confused.
I use a screen reader on my computer to do things
like check email, use the internet, etc.
I listen to the cars and when the closest ones to
me go through the intersection, I know it’s safe to
cross the street.
You See: A Person who is Blind
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I am a person who has traveled to 8
countries.
I stayed 2 months at the Olympic
Training Center to try out for the USA
women’s goal ball team.
I am visually challenged and travel
with a guide dog named Cory.
You See: A Person who is Visually
Challenged
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Now I would like you to pair off by twos. One
of you will be blind, then other sighted. The
sighted person will guide the blind person
around the room using “sighted guide” and a
white cane. Then you will switch and the
other person will be blindfolded.
Next, I will let everyone see how a guide dog
works by walking around the room using
Rica. I will then take her out of harness, and
allow everyone to pet Rica or Cory.
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30 year old Muslim female who has
overcome physical and learning disabilities
and who has achieved 2 bachelor college
degrees.
One degree in chemistry and another degree
in psychology. I don’t let any challenges stop
what I want to do.
Obstacles that I have had to deal with are
Cerebral Palsy and many surgeries in my life.
And many people telling me I wouldn’t make
it in school or the professional world.
I have a very closet net family. I am 1 of 5
children. I never looked at myself like I had a
disability.
You See: A Person with Physical Disabilities
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This game needs to be in groups of two. The object is of the game is to
accomplish certain task with and without help of someone and/or
adapted equipment. Each Task will take about 10-15 Minutes. Please
bring any adapted equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, straws,
special spoons and cups, etc. or they will be provided.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Have the participants take away the use of there limbs and there ability
to do the particular task that is chosen by the team they need to do to
accomplish first with help using adapted equipment or the help of
someone. Then try the same task with no help from someone or the
adapted equipment. After 10-15 Minutes of doing the task they can
write on a card how they accomplished the goal with the equipment and
without it and how it made them feel to rely on someone else or
something else, and how much they trusted and relied in the other
person or equipment, but let them know also that people that need
adapted equipment can do anything and everything if they put there
mind to it just like a "normal" person could.
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I am a single father to an 8 year old
son and I also work as a computer
tech to help people with their
computers remotely.
I am a leader to others and am relied
on often to figure things out.
I am paralyzed shoulders down like
Christopher Reeve, and do
everything with my head.
You See: A Person with Physical
Disabilities
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I am a business owner.
My favorite quote is:
“The only limitations
you have are the ones
you put on yourself.”
I advocate!
You See: A Person with
Physical Disabilities
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Remember what you see when you look at me!
You see, we are people just like you!
We access the environment in different ways to
get success!
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Address your brief question to one of the panel
members (state their name).
YOUTH LEADERS:
Adam
Adela
Daniel
Lindsay
Sergio
Shane
Tanisha Tara
PROJECT STAFF:
Barbara
Lisa
Yvonne
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Phone: (505) 272-6271
Website: www.whatdousee.org
Facebook: New Mexico Youth Leaders
Email: info@whatdousee.org
FAX: (505) 272-9594
Thank You!
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