I did it… I presented at the Tennessee Disability Mega Conference (May 24, 2019)!
It was hard work preparing for this event… A lot of thought was put into organizing my presentation. I am not an entrepreneur yet, neither is Rainbow Mosho… but I am helping her now at almost 11 years old so she can understand how important it is for her to become one…
Why? Because there are no guarantees in life. We the parents and close family members, we are here now… we don’t know until when.
Government help and support… we don’t know what that is for the last two years. Current news do not provide any kind of relief or guarantee these supports will be around for much longer. I am not being pessimistic. I am being realistic.
Compounded to the fact that 500,000 + individuals with autism will join the work force in the next 10 years… and not everyone will get a job — there are many reasons why this may occur. (I have links to material and research confirming this)
I am so thankful to the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for organizing this empowering event.
Every person in the room – thank you for nodding your head and confirming what I’ve learned — we must create a plan, we must do it together and share what we learn. There are countless ways to guarantee stability and independence for our loved ones with a disability. Life can’t only be about the disability, the limitations. We create quality of life. We practice inclusion. We build on the opportunities.
I have compiled a detailed list of sources – all confirming there are ways to self-educate and create a plan and make it happen. Send an e-mail should you wish to receive this material (see email in one of the pictures).
I insist… mentors are needed to better guide and receive feedback during this process. I’ve written to various organizations/businesses – NO response yet! I look forward to that moment and another door, opportunity becoming a reality.
- Read this article – written after participating in Beale Street Art Crawl in Memphis (October 2018) – In this piece, read the research from the OECD about Inclusion and Entrepreneurshipo.
