Rutgers Disability Coming Out Day

A panel of disability activists will discuss building a society that works for all of us. Future leaders in planning, policy, healthcare, and education are encouraged to join to learn how to be truly inclusive in their decision-making. Centering the lived experiences of people with disabilities, we discuss the experience of “coming out” as disabled as well as: inclusion in the context of accessible policy planning, healthcare, and education, followed by an opportunity to come out as disabled in a mix and mingle. Join, ask questions, and get involved.

Register at https://bit.ly/accessrutgers

For the Rutgers community:
– People with disabilities
– The healthcare community
– The policymaking community
– Educators

Location: ZOOM* or the Bloustein School’s Gov. James J. Florio Special Events Forum, 33 Livingston Ave. New Brunswick. Zoom participants will have a committed on-site human monitor to address issues and ensure their voices are also heard.

😷 😷 Please wear a mask.
👃 Please keep this a scent-free environment for those with chemical sensitivities.
🗯️ Captioning will be provided.

Please indicate your access needs in the registration form. Please contact our access touchpoints with any questions or concerns: as2921@scarletmail.rutgers.edu. Please put “DCOD Access” in the subject line.

Followed by a mix and mingle, where we can meet our disabled peers and be “out” as disabled for those who are comfortable.

PANELISTS:

Colleen Roche – Colleen Roche, a Certified Community Resource Specialist, is a training coordinator, program developer, and a subject-matter expert on disability health and wellness. She is an experienced consultant who develops and delivers trainings and presentations for individuals with disabilities, healthcare providers, and other allied professionals. Colleen is the co-founder of the New Jersey Disability Collective, member of the Disability Action Committee, and board chair for the Alliance Center for Independence and chair of the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council.

Mital Gajjar – Mital Gajjar, who was first diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss at the age of 5, started Rutgers Empowering Disabilities (RED) organization at Rutgers during her time as an undergraduate student in 2010. She currently teaches young children and mentors students in elementary school to college. She advocates for disability by working with the population throughout her career, started an online group for occupational therapists with disabilities, and understands the struggle of multiple identities through being the first disabled child of an immigrant family from a minority group.

Jillian Curwin – Jillian is a writer, content creator, and advocate for dwarfism and disability awareness based in New York City. She has written articles for Betches Media talking about disability representation in fashion and entertainment along with highlighting current events in the disability space. In addition, she has consulted with brands and organizations about disability inclusion. She is the host of the podcast Always Looking Up where she talks to little people, disabled people, those that are disability-adjacent and allies about living in a world that was not necessarily designed for them.

T.D. Mitchell – Best known as writer and story editor for the acclaimed TV series “Army Wives,” T.D. Mitchell is an autodidact and human rights advocate. She serves as a narrative consultant and speechwriter in crafting messaging for international NGOs/nonprofits. For the Writers Guild Institute, she mentors folks from marginalized communities to give them the tools to tell their own narratives. The pandemic led to her own near-death and resulting injuries that radically shifted her artistic process, forms and narrative point of view.