Imani's Graduate Degree in Paris
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My name is Imani Barbarin and I have been accepted to the American University of Paris' Masters in Global Communications Program. I am raising funds for my living costs while in the City of Lights. As someone with a disability, I have found that the older a city is, the more difficult it can be to find accessible accomodations. This money will help me subsidize the higher cost of living as I pursue my degree. The story of why this degree is my passion begins the year I was born
1990 was a critical year for me and my family, it was the year I popped into the world and, fortuitously, it was the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. It would take two years and countless doctors appointments, but eventually, I was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. My parents and my doctors could only do so much with the resources they had. In order to work towards true independence, I would need to take advantage of the services that nonprofits and governmental and nongovernmental agencies had to offer. The ADA was in its infancy at the time, so there were several false starts enrolling me into services--and I know there were many sleepless nights for my mother, but I know that her persistence is the reason I am a college graduate today.
I was a happy kid taking part in the programs my mother found for me. I was able to play and learn with other children who dealt with the same difficulties I did and for a few hours a day, we were like everyone else. As I got older, I became more observant and took stock of the organizations with which I was involved. I began to notice that the facilitators would wait along the periphery and when it was time to take a picture or get a quote, they would appear from the sidelines for the perfect snapshot. To make matters worse, the materials they produced made my friends and me seem pitiful and needy, rather than the strong and independent people the organization had made us feel. My relationship with the nonprofits I needed became strained, I felt used. I no longer wanted to be a prop even if it meant that I walked away from the services I needed.
My ultimate goal is to empower my peers so that they don't feel stigmatized when asking for help from these agencies. I want them to be able to recieve aid one day and feel confident enough to crush an internview for their dream job the next. Stigma, while isolating in western societies, can be downright dangerous in the many countries around the world without comprehensive disability legislation. And while the United Nations twiddles its thumbs in setting international policy regarding disabled peoples, the work of nongovernmental agencies and philanthropic organizations becomes even more necessary. It is my intent with this degree that I work to uplift their work and empower my peers in the process.
I will be forever grateful to those who will aid me in heeding this calling. For those who may not be able to give, please share.
1990 was a critical year for me and my family, it was the year I popped into the world and, fortuitously, it was the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. It would take two years and countless doctors appointments, but eventually, I was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. My parents and my doctors could only do so much with the resources they had. In order to work towards true independence, I would need to take advantage of the services that nonprofits and governmental and nongovernmental agencies had to offer. The ADA was in its infancy at the time, so there were several false starts enrolling me into services--and I know there were many sleepless nights for my mother, but I know that her persistence is the reason I am a college graduate today.
I was a happy kid taking part in the programs my mother found for me. I was able to play and learn with other children who dealt with the same difficulties I did and for a few hours a day, we were like everyone else. As I got older, I became more observant and took stock of the organizations with which I was involved. I began to notice that the facilitators would wait along the periphery and when it was time to take a picture or get a quote, they would appear from the sidelines for the perfect snapshot. To make matters worse, the materials they produced made my friends and me seem pitiful and needy, rather than the strong and independent people the organization had made us feel. My relationship with the nonprofits I needed became strained, I felt used. I no longer wanted to be a prop even if it meant that I walked away from the services I needed.
My ultimate goal is to empower my peers so that they don't feel stigmatized when asking for help from these agencies. I want them to be able to recieve aid one day and feel confident enough to crush an internview for their dream job the next. Stigma, while isolating in western societies, can be downright dangerous in the many countries around the world without comprehensive disability legislation. And while the United Nations twiddles its thumbs in setting international policy regarding disabled peoples, the work of nongovernmental agencies and philanthropic organizations becomes even more necessary. It is my intent with this degree that I work to uplift their work and empower my peers in the process.
I will be forever grateful to those who will aid me in heeding this calling. For those who may not be able to give, please share.
Organizer
Imani Barbarin
Organizer
Thorndale, PA
