(Photo courtesy of Makenna Verdon)
On November 4, 2024, Ambrosians Working for Social Justice hosted Lydia X.Z. Brown as a keynote speaker. They presented on the topic of why disability justice is an intersectional imperative for our futures and our freedom. They are the Director of Public Policy at the National Disability Institute and a disability justice advocate. Brown is a queer, disabled, and East Asian advocate, organizer, attorney, strategist, and writer.
Brown started the evening with informing the audience to use the designated space and time as they needed, no matter the stereotypical social norms.
“This space this evening is a space meant for each of you, to be present, to share space with one another, to exist and inhabit your body mind in all of its stimining and rocking and messing and linking compacities and complexities,” Brown said.
Brown explained how disability justice is relevant within all aspects of internal and external crises that people encounter. “Disability justice is relevant to every single struggle for justice and liberation on this planet,” Brown stated.
Disability justice is an important ongoing movement. Brown expressed, “Disability matters to justice because if we understand these crises and we continually mobilize to fight them, to resist them, to struggle in solidarity against them, then disability justice offers us a reminder continually, to attend, to sustainability in movement.”
Many attendees from the event felt enlightened by Brown’s presentation and learned a lot about the concept of disability justice.
Skyler Rice, a senior at SAU said, “I really enjoyed this event. It was meaningful to hear someone similar to me speak about their experiences. I liked learning about the nine ways that disabled people are viewed. This was accurate to what I have seen and experienced, but it was finally put into words.”
Many individuals left Brown’s presentation feeling empowered and excited about disability justice.
“As a person who has spent the majority of my career here advocating for individuals with disabilities, I am first grateful to the committee and second grateful for the delivery. It is my hope that we can continue to engage in the disability justice conversation. With a growing number of individuals with a disabling condition, we cannot ignore the systemic and institutional oppression present in our society,” said Ryan Saddler, Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Dr. Lisa Powell, Director of Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Gender Studies stated that disability justice isn’t necessarily taught in schools.
“I know that many of my students came away feeling enlightened, as this is an area of justice work that many people haven’t considered before. It often doesn’t get taught in schools in the way that other civil rights movements are covered, so the experience of people with disabilities isn’t something they’ve thought much about unless they are close to someone with disabilities or have impairments of some kind themselves.” said Lisa Powell, Director of Justice, Diversity, and Gender Studies and a member of the Ambrosians Working for Social Justice.
Brown also helped educate the St. Ambrose community about all the variations of different disabilities.
Powell said, “I think a lot of students are aware of the mental health crisis in our society today, and especially among young people, but they don’t necessarily understand this in the framework of disability and justice for people with neurodivergence, anxiety, or depression, but disability justice is all about removing the stigma society attaches to particular bodies and minds, and providing access and true belonging. The goal is the flourishing of all people, with all types of embodiments and a range of mental and emotional capacities and challenges.”
Disability justice is becoming a more prominent aspect of today’s society because anyone can have a disability at any time and the oppression they face is real.
Saddler concluded, “I am thrilled to hear others speaking to the notion that individuals with disabilities are human beings, made in the image of God and therefore deserving of a quality life.”
