Mobility International exchange program, photo book celebrate 'making exclusion extinct'

Source: The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.自存倉Aug. 21--EUGENE -- In the hills south of town, women who usually get around in wheelchairs or by carrying white canes are flying above the treetops.The women, who hail from as far away as Rwanda and Bangladesh, are in Oregon to prove that being deaf, blind or physically disabled shouldn't bar them from a life rich with adventure and accomplishment.As members of Mobility International USA's Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD), they're spending three weeks in Oregon, learning leadership skills to empower disabled women in their home countries.First, though, they must learn not to limit themselves. So here they are, soaring multiple stories high at Spencer Butte Challenge Course. When it's Lizzie Kiama's turn to fly, she doesn't worry about the leg that was partially amputated after a car accident when she was a teen.She steps into a harness and insists organizers hoist her as high as the ropes will go. Kiama, 33, screeches as she releases her restraints and swoops above the forest floor, but the smile never leaves her face."My goal for this trip was to push myself as far as I can," she says, "so I went as high as I could."During their weeks in Oregon, the women will receive training to be more effective leaders when they return home. They'll be trained in media relations, make connections with leaders from international aid groups, and draft action plans to guide their efforts.They'll also embark on adventures that, in many countries with a lower bar for accessibility, wouldn't be possible. In addition to swinging from the treetops, the women will go river rafting and camping, and walk the catwalk in a fashion show."We talk about challenging yourself to change the world," says Mobility International CEO Susan Sygall. "These women have the opportunity to be change makers.""Brilliant & Resilient"This year's exchange program is especially significant. It coincides with the release of "Brilliant & Resilient," a book of photos and biographies of 50 former participants in the Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability.Mobility International organizers say the book is a long-awaited project to bring attention to their cause. They should get plenty, given that famed Oregon photographer Brian Lanker's name is attached to the project.Lanker photographed nine of the women who appear in the book. The pro bono job was among Lanker's final projects before his sudden death of pancreatic cancer in 2011."He really didn't have any connection to the disabled community," says Lanker's former assistant, Lynn Lamb. "He just really wanted to help."Sygall says the international governing community has come a long way since she founded the organization in 1981, but Mobility International continues to work for improvements."Making exclusion extinct -- that's our goal," Sygall says.Many inequalities leveled against disabled people, s迷你倉新蒲崗e says, aren't intentional. Leaders of aid groups simply forget to include deaf interpretation services when they offer a seminar on HIV prevention, she says. Employers don't think to seek out disabled applicants during hiring searches.In Kiama's home country of Kenya, "disabled people stay home," she says. They don't go to church, don't hold jobs, and spend little time in public.Recent laws requiring inclusive hiring practices and accommodations for people in wheelchairs are changing the stigma, she says, but enforcement is rare."Even the United Nations is not accessible in Kenya," she says.Powerful advocacyBut despite a lack of accommodations, these women don't let physical limitations tame them, says Barbara Alessandra Ventura Castillo, a program participant from Peru.Ventura Castillo, 29, was born with congenital multiple arthrogryposis. She has limited muscle function and uses a wheelchair. But that doesn't define her. Her social activism does. Ventura Castillo is a fierce advocate for disabled rights, working through her organization, La Asociacion Luchando Contra Viento y Marea, and appearing on nationwide radio and television to advocate for Peruvians with disabilities."I work to create awareness and eliminate barriers, especially mental barriers," she says. "I want everyone to understand that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities."Her fellow participants advocate for inclusion of deaf women in Ghana, connect employers with disabled job applicants in Kenya, help change governmental policies in Bangladesh and fight for human rights in Mexico.Their individual efforts are bolstered by Mobility International, which has grown from a tiny organization with a budget of $500 to a thriving nonprofit whose international outreach has benefited thousands. The organization's programs are wide-ranging. In addition to sponsoring the WILD women, Mobility International hosts Americans with disabilities on international trips. The group also trains international exchange groups to make their programs accessible for disabled people, and assists in recruiting applicants with disabilities.Mobility International also provides inclusion training to international charities that receive U.S. funding.The hope is that the WILD women will return to their countries and act as ambassadors for the organization's goals.Meanwhile, Sygall hopes the photo book, available for $24.95 on miusa.org, will change readers' perspectives on what it means to be disabled."Brilliant & Resilient" was unveiled Thursday during a public reception and exhibit at Eugene's Ford Alumni Center. The exhibit is on display at the Lane County Historical Museum until Sept. 17, before it sets out on a mobile tour of the state.--Kelly HouseCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at .oregonian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉出租