Check out this important letter from Stacy Milbern, presenter of the "Media Monitoring for Disability Rights and Beyond" workshop at the 2008 Allied Media Conference. The letter concerns a campaign by Micah Fialka-Feldman for the right to live in student housing at Oakland University. Micah was a presenter at the 2007 AMC.
Happy holidays! I hope this letter finds you well. This autumn has been a very busy time for the disability community. It feels good to look
back on the year and reflect.
I have been thinking a lot about an event I went to this summer, the Allied Media Conference (AMC). The AMC is a gathering in Detroit that brings together independent media-makers, many who are youth. It was
amazing to see young people taking the city in their own hands.
Through the AMC, I had a chance to really get to know an NYLN [National Youth Learning Network] member, Micah Fialka-Feldman. He welcomed me to Detroit. Since I was new to the AMC community, he made sure I always knew what was going on. He made sure I had what I needed to participate. Conference organizers told me about how Micah and his family had worked with them to make sure that access wouldn't be an issue for anyone. As a result, many disabled people attended the conference. Disability issues were on the table. Unlike other events, many workshops focused on integrating a disability analysis into broader social justice work. It was a transforming experience for me. I owe a lot to Micah for it.
Micah has picked up the banner of access again. After being denied campus housing, he is working to make college more accessible for disabled people. Activists in Michigan will tell you that this is not just about Micah living on campus--- it is a struggle for access that Micah is championing for others. Micah's ability to bring together all kinds of people to support this cause is changing what access and inclusion really mean and who they include. As a friend and fellow
activist, I am proud of his work. NYLN, as an organization that promotes youth taking power, is also proud of his work. Each of our Governing Board members voted to stand in solidarity with Micah. We will do whatever we can to support this fight for equal rights.
You can read more about this struggle for accessibility by visiting this website. As young people with
disabilities, I'm sure many of you are familiar with these sorts of struggles. In this specific case, I hope you will join us in talking about what access really can mean and how it can change how we interact
with the world.
In community,
Stacey/>