DELEGATE PERSPECTIVE: Why Platform

I am very excited for the opportunity to attend the Platform Convention for 2016. I firmly believe in the mission to come together to ensure that our voices are heard in the discussions about our bodies, our lives, and our futures. I am extremely passionate about fostering change through conversations around issues, particularly on matters that affect woman disproportionally. One of the issues that I am most passionate about, now more than ever, is the discrimination for women with disabilities, advocating for their disability rights and economic justice. I have suffered through many challenges with my own physical limitations, and I have recently experienced extreme issues with limited mobility.

It has shined a new light for me on many items that most people take for granted. I can see the negative perspectives of discrimination against someone being "different" because of an ability measure and many restrictions on many uses of common resources. As a woman, I already feel that in the workplace, academia, and other institutions, it is difficult to be on the same playing field as men and incorporating an additional barrier makes the fight that much more challenging.

This is what has motivated me to want to make a change for others.

I want to help others to see that these obstacles can be ways to foster improvements and solutions to drastically change our system. I look forward to using my experiences and my strong determination as fuel to help create positive sustainable change for others. I know this is the perfect opportunity to learn from my peers, guest speakers, and workshops to explore and discover how to become the best advocate for all women who face oppression, injustices, and inequalities.