(music playing) - Hello and welcome to Generation Grit.

Our exciting new series discussing solutions to issues impacting our community through the eyes of generation Z. I'm your host Brenton Weyi and tonight we are discussing some of the biggest issues affecting the disability community and how we can advocate for change in our society.

We have an amazing panel with us tonight in the studio, and joining me is Jacob Ruth.

He attends College Living Experience in order to gain independent living skills as well as career skills.

He has worked with E-bikes at good turn cycles and is apprenticing with Piper Jacob appraising.

His goal is to be a show creator, writer, actor and volunteer with nonprofits.

He is currently working as a pizza cook at Brew Ability.

Thanks for joining us Jacob.

- Yeah no problem.

- Really happy to be have you here.

Also joining us is Bri Leve.

Bri is a current paralegal student at the Community COllege of Denver and they are incredibly passionate about equal access to resources for everyone, and hope to carry that into a career.

Thanks for being here Bri.

- Thank you for having me.

- On the phone tonight we have an expert, Erin Schipper.

Erin is the clinical director at the College Living Experience Denver location.

She has over 15 years of professional experience in supporting individuals with learning disabilities, differences, and narrow diversity.

Erin has professional experience as a group home manager, as a school social worker, clinician, and both effective needs classroom and at a community mental health center.

We are so glad you could join us.

- Thank you for having me.

- We have a quick video that we would like to play about what College Living Experience does.

Let's take a look.

♪ (music playing) ♪ ♪ Give me something brighter, give me something I can see.

♪ ♪ Give me something big, just give me something I can be.

♪ ♪ Give me motivation, give me all my heart's desire.

♪ ♪ Show me something gorgeous, ♪ ♪ show me till my eyes get tired.

♪ ♪ Give me all the jobs, show me how to pay them loud.

♪ ♪ Show me how to move, when I can't go all around.

♪ ♪ Give me the answer.

♪ ♪ Give me the way out, gives me the faith to ♪ ♪ believe that in these hard times.

♪ ♪ We know that light will find us, guide us along in all we ♪ ♪ have done.

♪ ♪ Give me an answer, give me a way out.

♪ ♪ Give me the faith to believe in these hard times.

♪ - Jacob and Bri, I would love to get this conversation going with the two of you.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got involved with college living experience and the background?

- How I got involved with that was through my parents.

It was during my junior year of high school that they started looking into something since college was a hard thing for me to get into because they couldn't find the right college for me to go to.

So they decided to stick me with the CLE and give me those independent living skills.

- That is awesome.

- I was diagnosed really late in life, after some academic challenges.

So CLE was kind of the only holistic resource that my psychologist offered upon my diagnosis.

It has been incredible.

- Can you talk a little bit about your personal journey and just a little bit about your background?

- Yes so like I said, I was diagnosed late in life when I was 20 and up until then, I did not know why everything felt wrong.

Why nothing seemed to go right, why everything was just harder for me than it was for everybody else.

And then I got diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and a host of learning disabilities, and since then I have enrolled in college with proper accommodations, and I would like to say I'm doing pretty well for myself.

- That's really awesome to hear Bri.

How about you Jacob?

- Where do I begin for my personal journey actually, I mean there's a lot that I can go back to the beginning when I was born, I was first diagnosed like the I think it was the second day after I was born actually they diagnosed me with high functioning autism and my parents became very aware of this actually and we kind of hooked up with the autistic society originally.

Then we kind of backed out a little bit when it was kindergarten actually.

And then after that, middle school was hard.

Middle school was really challenging because some things just happened but with me, and this is the saddest one actually, I was famed for having you know weird desires for a 13-year-old boy.

I was this during eighth grade actually, I was probably 14 at the time when that happened and it really psychologically screwed me up a little bit.

Then after well you know middle school, I moved on with a high school starting fresh, went separate from the people and just go off and do something else and then I met my own group of friends, and did high school football for living, I appeared on television five times and the fifth time was over Waterworld with sensory issues now coming into play.

- Thank you so much for sharing.

To both of you.

- Erin I would love to bring into the conversation.

From your experience, what do you believe that the community could do better in supporting the disabled community?

- Sure, I think the first step for the committee to take in supporting individuals with disabilities, is to be more educated on the disabilities themselves and also to gain a better appreciation for diversity.

Again, any action steps will also do well in coming alongside and letting those who have disabilities kind of lead the way.

And, following their example about what they need, what they want us to do as supporters of them.

There's a mantra of the community that says there is nothing about us without us.

- I really like that.

And Bri I can relate, I was diagnosed with ADHD late in life, and I actually almost flunked out of college when I went.

- Before my diagnosis I had dropped out of community college twice.

So yeah.

- Yeah I think to Erin's point there is sort of this narrative that's like oh just get over it, or get organized or do whatever.

- Which is not possible.

- Yes, your brain literally functions in a different way.

- What do you do if you think that the communities can do better to sort of accommodate people with learning differences and different kinds of brains etc.?

- For me, I would just say acknowledge it.

Acknowledge it because don't put it off to the side, just acknowledge it's there but acknowledge its existence, do not push it off to the side and say hey we don't need to worry about this before you know it expands into a greater mass and then it's like oh, now we do have to worry about this.

Not just acknowledge and acknowledge that it's there.

- Just to piggyback off of what Jacob and Erin said, there's nothing about us without us.

If you, as a society, can put disabled people at the forefront of what we need, it is going to function so much better than if the people who don't live our lives tried to dictate our needs and acknowledge specifically autism, ADHD, OCD, etc.

Acknowledging that as a valid struggle, not just a have you tried a planner?

Yes, yes I have.

Yes I lost it.

Yeah.

- Just set an alarm.

- Just set an alarm.

- If it was that easy.

- As a follow-up to that Bri, what do you think are some sort of the biggest misconceptions about the disabled community, neuro- diversity, etc.

- There are a lot.

A big one is with a big one is that we are all very different.

I can have the same diagnosis as six other people in the room, and that diagnosis is going to present six different ways.

The supports that I made through school are different from the supports that Jacob will need through school or are different from Sally and John.

So realizing all of our needs are individual because we are individuals.

We are not our diagnosis.

- What do you think about Jacob?

- I think Bri is correct actually because there are a bunch of misconceptions and society now, it's like oh this person acts differently, but he should not be a part of any group because he should be a part of his own group and instead of exploring.

It's like okay first off, you work straight up, saying hey go with their own group, we have our own.

It's like a form of what's the word for this?

- Discrimination or exclusion?

- Discrimination.

Actual discrimination because that is the discrimination way, but that's just how a society misconceptions.

Some people that are disabled actually, it's like we don't like you because we act a certain way.

- So following up on that Jacob, I know you have aspirations of being the voice actor, host, and some other things.

I'm curious at this point like what job search navigating the professional landscape, how does that look for you?

- That has looked surprisingly successful for me actually.

- That's good.

- No shocking actually, I thought it would have to do something else with my life, because it was back in junior year where I had this idea and I was just thinking since I watch live TV, why don't I try to make something on my own.

Then once I got involved in the nine news story covering a football player with autism, and playing for the high school team, then it became clear to me oh I could do something with this actually.

And the voice actor part, that just came from listening to different voice actors and just being like okay, how can I interpret it with my own voice?

- That's awesome.

What about you Bri?

I'm curious.

- So, I'm going to the legal field which is a very high-pressure, high-performing, high organization.

While it's a perfect fit, I'm being sarcastic.

Job search has been similar to Jacob, remarkably successful, I've only disclosed my disabilities at my prior job, and it went over very well.

There's always that fear of like in my about to lose his job because I'm about to say that I need accommodations?

The job done them and currently, it is outstanding.

It solidified that this is what I want to do.

I think the hardest part for me personally is that I can't do any more school.

That is a firm I cannot handle anymore school.

So I think the hardest part for me is everyone saying oh yes you're going to do this?

In the work for a few years and then be an attorney?

No, I cannot do that.

So that's my big cumbersome thing with jobs.

- Well I'm happy to hear that the two of you had success up to this point.

You can rub some of that on me, I would appreciate that.

Switching gears a little bit, Erin I would love to ask you about the professional world, and curious obviously with the disabled community there's a lot of intersection with the healthcare system, and in your view, what can our healthcare system do to show better support or to have a better foundation for this community.

- Oh yes, some of the gaps in the healthcare system include a big one is accessibility.

It's individuals who have certain insurance providers that will only cover certain things.

Some doctors won't take certain insurances.

Even accessibility as far as you know location and physical disabilities getting into certain offices, which is difficult.

Historically providers haven't always been well educated in all of the disabilities that they may encounter, but I feel as though this is getting better and I have personally had experiences with providers who had been exceptional in providing wonderful care.

So I think we are making progress in that regard.

- Do you feel that the healthcare system has supported you thus far?

- I mean I know my healthcare system is a bright help, but for the healthcare system itself, for me it doesn't apply to me but for anybody else, it does apply to them but how I feel about it is like a 50-50.

I'm not sure about it and it's kind of like okay this is kind of all right, you know kind of like I'm split between two things like some things about it we can change, and I could list the reasons why but it's a long list so we will not do that.

And so then there's like there's some things that I like about it and the sensory issue part actually since Waterworld has now you know come out and said hey, we're having sensory issues for every one of our rides.

Just to tell you how much sensory and water and taste and feel, which is a good thing.

At least it has opened up to the concept of saying hey, we want to include these disabled communities by adding sensory issues.

- So it sounds like other organizations can follow that example of thinking about neuro- divergent or disabled community individuals who may experience the world differently in providing information so that people can make informed decisions.

That kind of stuff.

- Without a doubt actually.

- Bri?

- I'm going to say this as mildly as I possibly can.

I feel that the healthcare system failed me pretty spectacularly, and failed a lot of people like me.

I have known that I have ADHD my entire life.

Like I have never, I have always known that I have ADHD.

My providers have always been like yeah that's probably what's going on.

Like Jacob said earlier but you function fine so we're not going to worry about it.

And it got to the point where I was exhibiting signs of incredibly severe autistic burnout.

I was having migraines, every day, twitching, and could not go to school.

I failed two classes.

And the entire time everything the provider I saw was this is actually incredibly common for people of your age and sex.

Which A, that's a different problem, be yeah I feel like a lot could've been avoided if they had just bothered to give me a test.

And yeah with adult diagnosis, insurance hardly if ever covers it, that's if you can find it.

So yeah I think that the healthcare system needs to really work on where it helps and hurts disabled people.

- Yeah and it seems like just what the both of you are talking about earlier, this idea of this acknowledgment right?

This is someone that sat down with you and listened, how can we help you and put up some support, it would've made a profound difference it sounds like.

- Incredibly.

- Yeah, yeah.

And I feel like sadly that seems to be the narrative with a lot of people.

- Pretty much everyone I've talked to, physical, physical disabilities, ADHD, autism, etc., yet I have never once heard someone say my diagnosis process was very easy, painless, everyone believed me on the first try.

I have never once heard that.

- Yeah I think that something that you pointed out that seems really important is this idea of how people appear, does not mean that they are not having challenges.

Just saying oh but you are so smart if you work so hard and you do so well, that doesn't mean someone doesn't need accommodations, support etc.

Yeah I've always been incredibly gifted, as weird as that word is, in language.

I was talking early, I was reading early, and that was a big indicator because I was verbal.

I did not have language delays.

That was a big indicators that it was like oh yeah, you have 80% of the other symptoms for autism, but you are verbal so you are fine.

So yeah I think that is a holistic view where disabled people just believed.

- So I know the two of you have worked with CLE for a while, and Jacob, I'd be curious what are you most proud of or what do you celebrate after you know you having worked with CLE or in your time with the organization?

- Probably thanking them for giving me a very good opportunity actually and giving me the skills that I need to succeed in life.

And for me to live on my own.

- What about you Bri?

- Living on my own is something that again even before I had my diagnosis, I just had in the back of my head that I would never be able to do it.

I had in the back of my head that I would always be a caretaker, and after working with CLE for a year, I have since July moved out.

I am living solo, maintaining an apartment and keeping both myself and my cat alive.

So, yeah I am incredibly proud of that.

- I think that is something that a lot of people don't even think about.

Even for me, I did not fully think about how it is important that these skills are given to people and also ensure the confidence as well to be able to do this.

- Yeah, which you know with ADHD in the disorganization piece, there's always that piece of you that's like well will I actually be able to cook a full meal without burning something?

- Yep, yep.

That hits a little too close to home for me.

No, and a good way.

In a good way.

- I can actually feel it too.

I almost burned down my apartment while cooking some garlic bread in the process.

I burnt my own thumb while doing it.

- Why do you think that independence is important for the individual or the disabled community?

- It makes you feel like more of a human being actually like the person, because I don't spend the rest of my life in my parents basement.

That was the one thing my dad always feared was like if you become a basement dweller I'm kicking you out of the house.

That's actually what happened, and my mom and dad were really strict on this.

Like seeing get a job, get a good scholarship, and live your life however you want to be.

That's it.

- Personally independence is important to me because it allows me to dictate where I go and what I do.

As much as I adore my parents, it was kind of frustrating getting to be 21 and every time they heard my keys jingle it would be like hey where are you going?

Who are you going with, when are you coming back?

So kind of being able to have that sense of stability, in this is my life, I get to say what happens and what doesn't, and yeah I think that obviously I can't speak for everyone.

But I think that the idea of autonomy over our own existence is really really powerful for disabled people in general.

- Autonomy over own existence.

I'm going to hold onto that one.

I would love to go to Erin with this question, Erin what would you say to someone who wants to get involved with disability rights advocacy?

- Yeah, there are so many opportunities to get involved with the disability community and provide support and advocacy.

You can do this at an individual or group level by seeking out your CCV or classes which are the community center for program approved service agencies that will be providing services to individuals throughout the state.

Other ways you can get involved are education and fundraising.

Or another great way on a macro level is to educate yourself about disability rights and legislation and laws and get involved at the clinical level and vote.

- And are there any particular resources that you would point to either for young people or adults to sort of get themselves in the know?

- Of course, there are lots of organizations around Colorado, some of them include the Colorado Disability Coalition, Disability Law Colorado, JFK Partners, the Arc of Colorado, and there's some other great self advocacy groups including Speaking For Ourselves and We Connect Now.

- Thank you so much Erin, that is fantastic.

I would love some final thoughts from the two of you.

Is there anything you would like to leave the people with, something you would like them to know about the disability community that they don't know or that you would like to emphasize while you are on the screen?

- I mean I said this once in a channel 4 news article, but to me I look at everyone as human beings.

Like actual human beings, I don't care where you come from, I don't care what your ethnicity, religion, sexuality, I just view you as a human being and that is with the disabled community as well, that's what I would love to leave with them.

Everyone is a human being; they have the same features as anyone else.

They may act differently, yes.

But we have to live with that actually sometimes and acknowledge that it happens.

- Well said Jacob.

- I think the two things are that one is disabled anger is often shut down and I think that we are allowed to be angry, not destructively.

Do not hurt anyone.

But, I think we are allowed to be angry at how society in general views and treats us.

And the second is we are really funny.

We are a really funny group of people, you just kinda gotta get past the dryness or the split second of am I allowed to laugh at that?

We are ultimately a very funny group.

- The banana shirt says anything, it is that.

- This is my favorite shirt.

- Jacob, Bri thanks so much for your time.

That is all the time we have for tonight.

Thank you so much for watching, I hope you learn something.

I certainly did.

We are so excited to have a series like this allowing young people to speak their truth and highlight all the great work being done in our community.

You can find us here every Friday night or you can watch online at pbs12.org.

If you have a question, you can reach out at grit@pbs12.org, or you can reach out to us on any of PBS 12 social media channels.

I am Brenton Weyi everyone, and for all of us here PBS 12, thank you so much for watching and have a fantastic night.

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