Presenters: Melinda Haus-Johnson, M.S.W., Theresa Squires and Kathryn Wyeth, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition

For many of our communities, the media plays a major role in shaping society’s views of us: our culture, our value, etc., as well as in shaping our own views of ourselves as we fight the ease of internalizing these messages. The disability community is no exception. This interactive workshop will begin by reviewing the various ways people with disabilities have been represented in the media, and the importance of making our own media that will shape the way our children and grandchildren view themselves and their communities. We will share examples of how the disability movement in Michigan has been using the process of digital storytelling to move our communities from pity to pride and to take action.