I work in Developmental Services at Howard Center and like so many of my colleagues, I wear a lot of hats depending on the day. In my primary role, I am a Coordinator with Project Hire, a supported employment program that helps adults with developmental disabilities and/or Autism to find competitive employment through individualized career planning and long-term person-centered support.
In addition, I am also a Sub-Responder for Safety Connection, an afterhours check in service that supports disabled or vulnerable adults to live independently with safety, dignity, and inclusion.
Finally, I help to serve my disabled co-workers and colleagues as a Co-Chair of Howard Center’s Disability Employee Affinity Network, one of four Employee Affinity Networks at the agency. This space is designed for disabled employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for workplace inclusion by offering feedback to leadership on policies, accessibility, and support needs.
In addition to these professional roles, my personal life also brings many labels – mother, wife, artist, introvert, friend. It took me a long time to receive (and even longer to accept) other labels – Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, ADHD, neurodivergent, CPTSD. While these conditions impact my daily life in one way or another, I have deep appreciation for the spaces they occupy in myself and the unique perspectives that have grown from places of discomfort.
Globally, it’s estimated out of the 1.3 billion people living with a disability, around 80% of those are “invisible” or offer no evidence of their presence through visual cues. They can be physical, mental, auditory, respiratory, visual – the list goes on. It’s staggering to think of how often disabilities are overlooked simply because they cannot be seen and therefore are disbelieved, ignored, or forgotten – not only by strangers that pass you by on the street, but by medical providers, insurance companies, co-workers, and family or friends.
Although 1 in 4 Vermonters have a disability, it can be challenging to gather accurate data on the number of disabled individuals working in human services. In my experience as a member of the disability community, it is evident that many colleagues who play an integral role in serving our most vulnerable populations, also live with disabilities themselves – both visible and invisible.
Many of us have experienced marginalization firsthand, as ableism continues to leave us on the margins of equity and inclusion, despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. It should also be loudly emphasized that disability frequently intersects with other identities such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. and that these intersections have historically led to further systemic marginalization.
Individuals who advocate for disability rights are often those who live with disabilities themselves. Over the years, research has increasingly highlighted the value of lived experience in these fields. The presence of disabled professionals within support teams is profoundly significant for our clients, helping to foster a sense of belonging and confidence through a deep foundation of understanding and empathy.
Disability justice goes beyond the services we provide to Howard Center clients; it is a deeply important workforce issue too. To genuinely champion disability rights, we must apply the same mission, vision and values in recognizing the experiences of disabled individuals in the workplace, ensuring they are represented, supported, and empowered in meaningful ways.
In recent months we have seen Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives brushed aside nationally as mere political theater or optional extras. Yet, to view them through this narrow lens allows people to ignore the deep and transformative role they play in cultivating non-performative equity within our workplaces and the populations we serve. DEI is not just a set of policies; it is the framework that guides our commitment to the wellbeing and success of each individual in our community, where we meet each other not despite our differences, but in collective celebration of them.
Howard Center has remained steadfast in their ongoing commitment to DEI initiatives designed to provide culturally attuned care for staff and clients who navigate vast systemic issues – disability rights, trans-affirming care, and basic human rights for immigrant, asylum-seeking, and resettled refugee communities, as well as New Americans. It has been one of the biggest privileges to work with incredibly dedicated staff, many of whom do this work in addition to their primary roles, in the cultivation and rollout of a range of toolkits, roundtables and workshops. Together we have demonstrated a collective power to understand and compassionately confront systemic injustices, nurturing the culture that Howard Center was built on. When we create opportunities for civil discussions and take time to listen to people with differing perspectives, we can see an abundance of opportunities to cultivate a rich and diverse workforce where differences are not just to be tolerated but celebrated.
The powerful mantra “Nothing About Us Without Us,” first echoed by the South African disability rights movement in the 1990s, has been a passionate rallying cry for disability activists across the globe. It is more important than ever that we remember inequities of the past and honor those who have suffered by letting them guide the decisions of our future. When we remain committed to upholding our core values and supporting disabled staff, we see growth and access to equitable and inclusive spaces, policies and procedures. Ultimately, the core of this work is not merely significant; DEI is part of the heart and soul that fuels the wellbeing of our staff who compassionately uplift and support our clients.
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Dylan Hart: The Power of Visibility: Disability, Inclusion, and the Strength of Our Workforce
I work in Developmental Services at Howard Center and like so many of my colleagues, I wear a lot of hats depending on the day. In my primary role, I am a Coordinator with Project Hire, a supported employment program that helps adults with developmental disabilities and/or Autism to find competitive employment through individualized career planning and long-term person-centered support.
In addition, I am also a Sub-Responder for Safety Connection, an afterhours check in service that supports disabled or vulnerable adults to live independently with safety, dignity, and inclusion.
Finally, I help to serve my disabled co-workers and colleagues as a Co-Chair of Howard Center’s Disability Employee Affinity Network, one of four Employee Affinity Networks at the agency. This space is designed for disabled employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for workplace inclusion by offering feedback to leadership on policies, accessibility, and support needs.
In addition to these professional roles, my personal life also brings many labels – mother, wife, artist, introvert, friend. It took me a long time to receive (and even longer to accept) other labels – Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, ADHD, neurodivergent, CPTSD. While these conditions impact my daily life in one way or another, I have deep appreciation for the spaces they occupy in myself and the unique perspectives that have grown from places of discomfort.
Globally, it’s estimated out of the 1.3 billion people living with a disability, around 80% of those are “invisible” or offer no evidence of their presence through visual cues. They can be physical, mental, auditory, respiratory, visual – the list goes on. It’s staggering to think of how often disabilities are overlooked simply because they cannot be seen and therefore are disbelieved, ignored, or forgotten – not only by strangers that pass you by on the street, but by medical providers, insurance companies, co-workers, and family or friends.
Although 1 in 4 Vermonters have a disability, it can be challenging to gather accurate data on the number of disabled individuals working in human services. In my experience as a member of the disability community, it is evident that many colleagues who play an integral role in serving our most vulnerable populations, also live with disabilities themselves – both visible and invisible.
Many of us have experienced marginalization firsthand, as ableism continues to leave us on the margins of equity and inclusion, despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. It should also be loudly emphasized that disability frequently intersects with other identities such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. and that these intersections have historically led to further systemic marginalization.
Individuals who advocate for disability rights are often those who live with disabilities themselves. Over the years, research has increasingly highlighted the value of lived experience in these fields. The presence of disabled professionals within support teams is profoundly significant for our clients, helping to foster a sense of belonging and confidence through a deep foundation of understanding and empathy.
Disability justice goes beyond the services we provide to Howard Center clients; it is a deeply important workforce issue too. To genuinely champion disability rights, we must apply the same mission, vision and values in recognizing the experiences of disabled individuals in the workplace, ensuring they are represented, supported, and empowered in meaningful ways.
In recent months we have seen Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives brushed aside nationally as mere political theater or optional extras. Yet, to view them through this narrow lens allows people to ignore the deep and transformative role they play in cultivating non-performative equity within our workplaces and the populations we serve. DEI is not just a set of policies; it is the framework that guides our commitment to the wellbeing and success of each individual in our community, where we meet each other not despite our differences, but in collective celebration of them.
Howard Center has remained steadfast in their ongoing commitment to DEI initiatives designed to provide culturally attuned care for staff and clients who navigate vast systemic issues – disability rights, trans-affirming care, and basic human rights for immigrant, asylum-seeking, and resettled refugee communities, as well as New Americans. It has been one of the biggest privileges to work with incredibly dedicated staff, many of whom do this work in addition to their primary roles, in the cultivation and rollout of a range of toolkits, roundtables and workshops. Together we have demonstrated a collective power to understand and compassionately confront systemic injustices, nurturing the culture that Howard Center was built on. When we create opportunities for civil discussions and take time to listen to people with differing perspectives, we can see an abundance of opportunities to cultivate a rich and diverse workforce where differences are not just to be tolerated but celebrated.
The powerful mantra “Nothing About Us Without Us,” first echoed by the South African disability rights movement in the 1990s, has been a passionate rallying cry for disability activists across the globe. It is more important than ever that we remember inequities of the past and honor those who have suffered by letting them guide the decisions of our future. When we remain committed to upholding our core values and supporting disabled staff, we see growth and access to equitable and inclusive spaces, policies and procedures. Ultimately, the core of this work is not merely significant; DEI is part of the heart and soul that fuels the wellbeing of our staff who compassionately uplift and support our clients.