Let Me Record Your Story
[SARN Memo for June 24, 2009]
Why go to a conference? Here’s one reason: You get to meet a lot of people who have great stories to tell.
When Kelly Lee of St. Paul-based Advocating Change Together (ACT) went to Saudi Arabia last March, she brought along a tape recorder. She collected stories from around the world.
Self-advocates may come from many lands, but we all face common barriers. Here’s the story of a woman from Australia who fought against low expectations. (See story below.)
Respond to this memo!1. Hayley’s Story
Story by Maggie Killington, as told to Kelly Lee
My story relates to someone who had a traumatic brain injury some 12 or 13 years ago. Hayley was a gorgeous young woman. She taught Japanese at a girl’s high school. One day, she was out driving her car and had an accident. She drove into a pole on the side of the road and got a severe brain injury.
Hayley was unconscious for a couple of months. When she finally came to, she began to have therapy. Eventually, she came for rehabilitation to the brain injury unit where I work. I was her first physiotherapist.
Now, the thing about Hayley was that it appeared she couldn’t move anything at all… (click here to keep reading)
2. Group Activity: Interviews
Bring a recorder to your next meeting, and record the stories of one or more members. Have each person think of a time when he or she had to work hard to get something in his or her life (or other topic). Find a volunteer to type up these stories. Post them on the wall, along with a picture of the person who shared the story.
3. Resource
Declarations of Independence
We asked self-advocates: “What values are most important to you?” This four-minute video shows what they said—in their own words.
Today’s Trivia Question:
True or false: Male mosquitoes do not bite humans.
(The answer will be published in the next Memo.)
Answer to June 18th Trivia Question: True.
Question was: True or false: Father’s Day first became a national holiday in the U.S. in 1966.
Do you have a trivia item you’d like to submit?
Create a trivia question and we will review your question for possible use.
Your trivia question:
The correct answer:
Would you like your name to appear as the author of the trivia question? If yes, give us your name and where you are from.
Reader Responses
This story shows how no matter what, if you really want something you can achieve it and overcome any and all obstacles.
Angela Ortega, REM Nevada Inc.