* We need to be advocating for all human rights                       6:54

* Five critical components of change and what you get         14:30

   if each component is missing  Hint: See the image at the

   top of the page.      

* A more simplified way of looking at change       16:25 & 21:29 & 39:41

* Help people connect on the local level.                                     42:46

* Expand reach of Olmstead decision to schools.                     49:54

Here are some quotes from the recent The Art of Advocacy show.

I'm going to say something really provocative, I think the disability community is addicted to civil rights.  We think that marching in the demonstration or suing somebody is the absolute height of expressing our rights. Those are fundamental pieces, but we have to be pushing beyond that.                                                                                       Sue Swenson

There are many times as parents we get into our own silos.  One of the things I always encourage families to do is, don't create a special PTO organization.  Go with the culture of what's there in your school and embed change there.  When we keep ourselves as this separate parents' silo, then we're a special interest group and we diminish our power.                                                                                                                   Charmaine Thaner

                                                                                                                Sue Swenson

I still see so many districts where if they can check off the boxes, they feel like they've done their job. That's where this conversation about cultural change is so critical because we're not advocating checking off boxes.  We're looking at the big vision we have for our child and all the kids as far as what rich futures they're going to have. 
                                                                                                        Charmaine Thaner

We had one night a month where we invited anyone in Minneapolis and interested in having supper with us.  And then we did just that.  And you know, a very short program.  Then lots of time to just to talk. That was so much more powerful than anything I could have done with insisting on my civil rights under the IEP, I just think that's were real inclusion comes from.                                                                                                    Sue Swenson 

When we had six people attend the school board meeting it was a lot more effective than when one person went.  When we had disabled students talk at the school board meeting, guess what?  The media picked up on it and we started seeing other people asking how they could help.                                                                                Charmaine Thaner

People with disabilities told us they needed not only to be included but they wanted to be valued.                                                    Sue Swenson

It does come back to the human level, in those principles of justice for all, freedom and peace. That's what our vision needs to be based on.  Not how many state standards is this child going to reach before they graduate from high school.                                                Charmaine Thaner                                                                 

P.S.   ​