Through awareness and the arts, Jessica Clay breaks down barriers in order to advance the rights of people with disabilities.
Disability Awareness Outreach
Creating an equal and inclusive world
My main passion in life is to spread disability awareness to as many people as possible. How am I doing that, you ask? By bringing my disability awareness outreach to you! My outreach consists of two parts: the presentation and the discussion.
The presentation focuses on disability awareness through personal experience, performing arts, and education. The main goal is to create much-needed social change, promote inclusion and equality, and change people's perceptions of individuals with disabilities.
After the presentation, I will encourage questions from the audience. This part of the outreach aims to create an open atmosphere where the audience can engage in an honest discussion about disability and disability awareness.
To request a disability awareness outreach session, please click here and fill out the request form with your information. I will get back to you within 2-3 business days.
Outreach FAQs
What does the Disability Awareness Outreach focus on?
This outreach will focus on disability awareness through personal experience, performing arts, and an educational lens.
In the disability awareness outreach, I will share my experience as a person with a disability. I was born in 1996, a date I have come to realize is significant. If I had been born 30 years earlier, I could have been placed in an institution with no rights, no education, no technology, and minimal care. My disability has shaped me and given me direction in my life like nothing else. My family and I have faced numerous challenges, obstacles, and barriers that we have had to overcome. Through personal experience and my studies in Performing Arts, Political Science, and Disability Studies, I understand the immense work needed to break down both mental barriers, like attitudes and discrimination, and physical barriers, like accessibility. My disability (cerebral palsy and vision loss) has profoundly influenced my personal and career development, giving me strength, perseverance, and direction. It is a part of me, and I am proud of it.
Another passion of mine, alongside activism, is dance. I perform integrated dance, which includes both people with and without disabilities. I have performed at multiple venues, and through performing, I have received feedback about how the dance has changed perceptions, making people realize that someone who uses a wheelchair can dance. By including components of integrated dance in the disability awareness outreach, it will emphasize that it is not about what you can't do, but what you CAN do in life, while still striving for equality and inclusion for individuals with disabilities.
Who is the target audience?
Anyone! I truly believe that everybody should have access to this outreach, as disability awareness needs to reach as many people as possible in order to make this world an inclusive and equal place. That being said, I make sure to edit the outreach so that it is available and geared towards whoever the audience demographic may be. Whether you are 5 or 95 years old, or a student, dancer, or in the corporate world, this disability awareness outreach is for you!
Are there any different types of outreach formats that you can choose from?
Yes! I offer the disability awareness outreach 3 different ways. The first way to experience the outreach is in-person,where I come to your location, and speak and have an open discussion with the audience. Second, the outreach could be done via zoom, where I speak and have the open discussion with the audience on the online platform. The last way that you can experience the outreach is by video. With this video option, I will email you a private YouTube link that includes the outreach presentation. You will then have 2 weeks (14 days) to show the outreach video to the audience. After the 2 weeks is over, the video will be permanently deleted and you will no longer be able to access it. Keep in mind that the video option will only include the presentation portion and not the open discussion. However, I will be answering some common questions in the video. Plus, you and/or the audience are free to contact me with any extra questions you may have.
How long will the disability awareness outreach last?
The total time will depend on the audience demographic and the outreach format you choose (via in-person, a Zoom call, or video). It will be between 30 and 90 minutes long.
How much does each type of disability awareness outreach cost?
The price will depend on the outreach format and will be discussed when we connect.
What is needed for the disability awareness outreach?
•A room to present that is wheelchair accessible.
•The room should also have wifi, a computer with sound, and projection so the PowerPoint presentation and YouTube videos can be shared with the audience.
•Please let me know if a sound system is available for a microphone, if needed.
Will there be any handouts given to the audience members?
Yes, there will be handouts for the audience members! Handouts will be unique to each audience demographic. They will include provoking discussion questions to enhance disability awareness, recommendations of movies and TV shows with representation of disability and/or disability history, and beneficial resources. Additionally, the handouts will have fun but educational activities for the young audience members like word searches, crossword puzzles, and more!
How can you request to have the disability awareness outreach come to you?
To request that the disability awareness outreach come to you, please click here and fill out this form with your information. I will get back to you within 2-3 business days.
Outreach Request Form
Interested in having the disability awareness outreach come to you? Please fill out this request form with your information and I will get in touch with you within 2-3 business days. Can't wait to connect with you!